The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has seen an increase in the receptiveness of its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Based on the two Pulse Surveys conducted, the number of employees willing to be inoculated with the vaccine grew from 35 percent in February to 74 percent in May 2021.

When the employees who are now willing to be inoculated were asked what factors led to their change of mind, most referred to the information they received on the vaccine as the factor that influenced their current willingness to be inoculated.

The rise in vaccine confidence and receptiveness was due to the consistent information dissemination activities done by the Department, in partnership with the Department of Health, to promote the importance of getting inoculated to protect them and their families against the virus.

Likewise, among the common materials or activities on the COVID-19 vaccine deployment program used by the Department included e-mail blasts and memoranda on updates related to the vaccine. Half of the employees or 50 percent of those who answered the survey also reported satisfaction on the dissemination of information related to COVID-19 vaccine, while 21 percent were very satisfied.

The facilitators of the survey emphasized that the research design was devised as a rapid assessment survey and that more sophisticated research methods may be used to more accurately describe the changes in the vaccine confidence of the employees.

Meanwhile, the DSWD has started the registration of essential workers for vaccination. As of the latest count, more than 9,000 personnel from the Central Office and in various DSWD Field Offices have already registered their intent to get vaccinated.

The Department pledges to continue to help in the government’s dissemination and promotion of the COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine deployment program to achieve population protection. ###