MANILA - Vaccine hesitancy is highest in Visayas and Mindanao but overall unwillingness to get jabbed already dropped, OCTA Research Group said in its study released Wednesday

Vaccine hesitancy was highest in Visayas and Mindanao at 9 percent each, followed by Metro Manila and Balance Luzon at 3 percent each, OCTA found in its fourth quarter poll, which was conducted from Dec. 7 to 12, with a ±3 margin of error.

Adult Filipinos in class D and E have higher percentages of vaccine hesitancy at 6 percent versus 4 percent in class ABC, the study showed.

The primary concern of those unwilling to get vaccinated was the safety of the jabs (94 percent), followed by efficacy (26 percent), the study found.

Twelve percent, meantime, said there saw no need to fight the coronavirus with a vaccine, 7 percent cited having pre-existing medical conditions, while 6 percent said no vaccine is available yet in their area.

However, fewer Filipinos are unwilling to get vaccinated, the study also noted.

Of 1,200 adult Filipinos, the number of those unwilling to get the jab has dropped to 5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021 from 22 percent in the previous quarter.

• Galvez: More Filipinos now willing to get COVID vaccine

Majority or 74 percent of the respondents have already been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the study. Combined with 15 percent of respondents who are willing to get the jab but have not yet been vaccinated, some 89 percent of adult Filipinos in total are willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, OCTA Research said.

This is higher than the 61 percent of Filipinos willing to get vaccinated in the third quarter, the group added.

Nearly half or 45 percent of those vaccinated received China's CoronaVac (Sinovac) jab, 27 percent received Pfizer's vaccine, 12 percent received AstraZeneca's vaccine, 10 percent received Janssen, and 5 percent received Moderna's jab.

Metro Manila had the highest percentage of vaccinated persons at 91 percent, followed by Mindanao (56 percent), Balance Luzon (48 percent), and Visayas (30 percent).

Two percent of those fully vaccinated contracted COVID-19 after completing their dosage, according to the study.

The highest percentage of adults who experienced breakthrough infection were from Balance Luzon at 3 percent, followed by Mindanao and Metro Manila at 2 percent and 1 percent, respectively.

Government in November and December conducted National Vaccination Days in various regions in a bid to reach its target of 54 million fully inoculated individuals by the end of 2021.

• PH falls short of 2021 vaccination target

The Philippines as of Tuesday has fully vaccinated 57.8 million people, while 59.98 million others have received an initial dose, and 6.68 million booster shots have been administered, according to the Department of Health.

RELATED VIDEO

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv