Only one in four Metro Manila respondents is willing to be vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) should the vaccines become available in the country, a survey conducted by the OCTA Research Team showed. 

The OCTA's "Tugon ng Masa" survey results released Tuesday (January 5) showed that only 25 percent of the respondents in the National Capital Region expressed willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine if it becomes available. 

Of these respondents, OCTA said 29 percent belong to Class ABC, while 24 percent belong to Class D, and 27 percent from Class E. The remaining 75 percent, meanwhile, are either uncertain or unwilling to be inoculated. 

Almost half (47 percent) of the respondents have indicated that they are still unable to decide whether or not to get vaccinated. Fifty-two percent of these belong to Class ABC, 48 percent to Class D, and 42 percent to Class E. 

On the other hand, of the 28 percent who said they would not get the vaccine, 31 percent belong to Class E, 28 percent from Class D, and 19 percent are from Class ABC. 

OCTA, an independent research group that has been monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak in the country said the non-commissioned poll was conducted in Metro Manila from December 9 to 13 through face-to-face interviews among 600 respondents aged 18 and above. 

Majority satisfied with gov’t pandemic response 

The same survey showed that majority (81 percent) of the respondents in the NCR are satisfied with the national government’s COVID-19 response. 

"This significant approval of the national government's COVID-19 response is shared across different socioeconomic classes in Metro Manila (Class ABC at 70 percent, Class D at 83 percent, and Class E at 82 percent)," the survey noted. Meanwhile, 12 percent of the respondents are unsure of the performance of the national government against the health crisis in the country.

 Most of the uncertain responses, OCTA said, came from Class ABC at 20 percent, followed by Classed D and E at 12 percent and 11 percent, respectively. 

Six percent who were dissatisfied with the government's pandemic response came from Class ABC with a 10 percent disapproval rating, Class E with 7 percent disapproval, and Class D at 6 percent. 

National Task Force Against COVID19 Chief Implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said that COVID-19 vaccines will be made available in the country around March 2021 "at the earliest." 

The government has formally secured more than two million doses of vaccines from AstraZeneca which is expected to arrive in the second quarter of 2021, while negotiations with other vaccine manufacturers are still ongoing. 

Several local government units in the capital region have already allotted funds to procure vaccines for their residents which will be given for free.