MORE Filipinos are now willing to get vaccinated as a “sense of duty” allows them to conquer their fears of the unknown, according to the latest survey data released by global analytics firm Ipsos.
Based on the data, vaccine interest in the Philippines is now at 82 percent, per a poll done in June 2021. This was a 14 percentage point increase from the 68 percent recorded in an Ipsos survey done earlier this year.
The Philippines and Malaysia were the only countries in Southeast Asia which saw an increase in vaccine interest. In Malaysia, vaccine interest was higher at 93 percent in the latest survey compared to 76 percent in the previous data collection.
“I think it’s because people are realizing that getting vaccinated is a sense of duty as citizens and the fact that there is no other source currently for vaccines—as fast and as much as what our own LGUs (Local Government Units) are able to roll out,” Ipsos Philippines Country Manager Vicky Abad told BusinessMirror via e-mail.
“So the more people get vaccinated, the more they are also influencing others to be vaccinated. It’s all about overcoming the fear of the unknown,” she added.
In other parts of Southeast Asia, vaccine interest has declined in June. Ipsos Regional Lead of Strategy3 for Southeast Asia Director Kiranjit Singh said there was no general explanation for this.
However, based on the data, vaccine hesitation was higher among senior citizens and people without children. The vaccine hesitation was also highest in Thailand and Indonesia. Singh said vaccine interest in Thailand was only at 69 percent while in Indonesia, it was at 74 percent based on the June 2021 data.
“There are many reasons for it. There is no one reason. It’s not only less education, younger (members of the population), and so on. There are differences,” Singh said in a briefing on Thursday. “You have to go deeper into each country and each demographic to understand the reason.”
Family reunions
Meanwhile, in the next three months, Ipsos data showed 53 percent of Filipino respondents said they would be more comfortable seeing family and friends. This is considered the top activity that Filipinos want to do in the next three months.
The data also showed 46 percent of Filipino respondents would be more comfortable dining in a restaurant in the next three months while 38 percent would be comfortable using public transportation during the period.
However, traveling to another country and joining a cultural event or gathering received lower interest among Filipino respondents.
Only 24 percent said they are comfortable traveling to another country and 25 percent said they would join a gathering in the next three months.
Regionally, visiting family and friends in their homes is the top activity that respondents would like to do in the next three months.
The latest findings from the Ipsos 4th wave of the study conducted in June 2021 was based on the responses of 3,000 adults in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.
In the Philippines, there were 500 respondents nationwide. The survey was conducted using their internal online panel.
Image courtesy of Nonoy Lacza