SWS: Majority has easy access to vaccination sites, half find rollout slow

MANILA, Philippines — Half of Filipinos fiind the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations slow, results of a recent Social Weather Stations survey suggest.

The survey, conducted among 1,200 respondents, was done through in-person interviews between June 23 to 26, and had a ±3% margin of error. 

The view that vaccinations have been slow was most prevalent among Metro Manila residents at 57%, followed by those in Balance Luzon at 55%, those in Visayas at 51%, and those in Mindanao at 33%.

Among the respondents, 63% of residents in Mindanao found the pace of vaccinations "alright" against 44% in the Visayas and 38% in Metro Manila and in Balance Luzon.

"By education, those who complain about the country’s slow pace of vaccination are more prevalent among elementary graduates and above (range of 49% to 55%) than among non-elementary graduates (37%)," the pollster noted. 

It added those who consider the pace of inoculations are alright are slightly more common among those who did not finish elementary or 51%. That was against those with further educational background ranging from 43% to 63%.

On the local level, 51% said they are not content with the speed of vaccinations in their villages or barangays, while 44% said of the same for their own city or municipality.

More held this view among respondents in the Visayas while the National Capital Region had the fewest respondents who found the pace "alright". 

The Philippines began its COVID-19 vaccination program in March. Authorities in recent weeks have sought to ramp up inoculation amid the threat of the highly transmissible Delta variant. 

Latest government figures showed 12.74 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against the 70 million that government hopes to inoculate this year.

Some 15.56 million, meanwhile, have received their initial dose. 

Inaccessibility of sites

The same SWS survey suggested that 29% of Filipinos have no access at all to inoculation sites. 

Three percent said they have difficult access, while 68% said they have easy access. 

More respondents in NCR said they have easy access to vaccination sites. 

Lack of access was highest in Balance Luzon at 35%, Visayas at 29%, Mindanao at 26%, and Metro Manila at 16%.

Seventy-five percent of respondents who are college graduates said they have easy access to vaccination sites while 67% of junior high school graduates said the same thing. Seventy-one percent of elementary graduates and 53% of non-elementary graduates said they had easy access.

"On the other hand, the percentage of those without access to a vaccination site is higher among non-elementary graduates (43%) than among elementary graduates (27%), junior high school graduates (29%), and college graduates (23%)," SWS added. 

'More needs to be done' 

Malacañang has conceded the need to improve access and the pace of inoculations at home. 

In a statement, it said: "We are addressing vaccine supplies by procuring more vaccines, increasing personnel or vaccinators by considering pharmacists and medical interns/underboard, and having barangay health centers as vaccination sites."

The administration added it also continues to partner with more local governments and the private sector to tap more locations for the program.