Vaccine Perception among Geriatrics in Batangas City, Philippines

Unsuccessful vaccination administrations in the past have caused mistrust in vaccines among Filipinos. This could be a major concern amidst the COVID-19 pandemic wherein vaccine hesitancy could stifle national treatment. Particularly, the geriatrics are a high risk and high priority population for immunization. Despite having various studies about vaccine perception among adults, there are no published studies that assess the attitudes of the geriatric population towards vaccination measures. A survey was conducted among 125 respondents aged sixty to seventy-nine years old in Batangas City. Information was gathered through a validated questionnaire and distributed through Google Forms. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study determined the attitudes of the geriatrics toward vaccine perception in terms of the following aspects, namely, of vaccine promotion, vaccine impediment, and the improvement of healthcare delivery. The results of the respondents’ attitudes towards vaccination when grouped according to profile revealed that they were all insignificant. This means that regardless of age, sex, education, and information sources, the geriatrics from Batangas City all agreed that current vaccination information and protocols need further improvement. The information also identified the need for better government interventions to fortify the acceptability, accessibility, and reliability of current vaccination practices among the geriatrics.

Keywords – Acceptability, disease prevention, elderly care