MANILA (UPDATE) — More Filipinos are now willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19, a survey released Monday by Pulse Asia showed.

According to the survey, which was conducted from June 7 to 16, 43 percent of Filipino adults said they would get vaccines against COVID-19, an increase from February's 16 percent.

The survey also showed that 36 percent of Filipinos do not want to get vaccinated while 16 percent are undecided.

The remaining 5 percent, meanwhile, said they have been vaccinated against the respiratory illness, which has so far sickened 1.4 million in the country.

The National Capital Region recorded the most respondents who were willing to get vaccinated at 55 percent, based on the survey.

Nearly half or 49 percent of those who said they refuse to get vaccinated come from Visayas, the poll showed.

In terms of social class, willingness to get vaccinated was highest among those under the ABC class at 50 percent, followed by class D at 42 percent and class E at 38 percent, respectively.

Class E also registered the highest percentage of respondents who refused to get vaccinated at 44 percent, according to the survey.

Pulse Asia's poll revealing Filipinos' attitudes toward vaccination comes more than 4 months since the government kicked off its inoculation program, which aims to get 58 million to 70 million of the population immunized against COVID-19.

So far, over only more than 3 million Filipinos have gotten 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

• Philippines: COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

The survey also found that among those who do not want to get vaccinated, uncertainty of the vaccines' safety was the leading reason why they refuse to get the jab, at 69 percent.

It was the same reason cited by most or 79 percent of those who are undecided about getting the vaccine.

But 35 percent of those who refuse to get vaccinated said they would change their mind "when I see that my relatives, friends, and/or acquaintances who have been vaccinated are safe" while 33 percent may get the jab "when our doctor or health care provider says COVID-19 vaccines are safe."

Meanwhile, among those who are undecided about getting vaccinated, 44 percent said they would change their decision and get the jab "when I see that my relatives, friends, and/or acquaintances who have been vaccinated are safe" while 21 percent could be convinced by their doctor or health care provider.

The Pulse Asia survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews with 2,400 respondents aged 18 and above.

It has a ±2 percent margin of error at the 95 percent confidence level.

RELATED VIDEO

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv