Health Secretary Francisco Duque III accepted the challenge to be the first one to get a COVID-19 vaccine to ease the fears of the public about the vaccine’s safety.
“Yes, [I will do it]. Definitely. That is a no brainer. Sure. No problem,” Duque said in an ANC interview on Monday.
“I will take it as long as it has undergone a scientific evaluation of the Department of Science and Technology’s Vaccine Experts Panel, the Ethics Board Review, and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), which will conduct its own regulatory assessment,” Duque added.
Last Saturday, Senator Bong Go dared vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to volunteer and the first ones to get a dose of a “safe” COVID-19 vaccine once it becomes available in the country.
“I’m challenging Secretary Galvez, once available na po ‘yung safe na vaccine, ipapakita niya, along with Secretary Duque, sila po ang unang magpapaturok ng vaccine to encourage naman po,” Go, also the Senate Committee on Health chair, said at the Laging Handa public briefing.
Go said he observed that many Filipinos have doubts about getting the vaccines.
“Dapat unahin ang poor, vulnerable, frontliners of course, sila ang nangunguna sa labang ito, mga sundalo, mga guro natin, mga senior citizens po na talagang vulnerable at especially po ‘yung mga indigent Filipino people,” Go said.
“Dapat po’y maging libre po ito sa mga mahihirap,” he added.
Duque willing to be first in line once COVID-19 vaccine becomes available
Likewise, Duque also challenged his fellow Cabinet members to be among the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine once Philippine regulatory bodies approve it.
“I encourage my fellow Cabinet members and other government officials to join me,” Duque added.
Last month, Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed 66 percent of adult Filipinos are willing to get the Covid-19 vaccine if available now (consisting of 32% definitely would get the vaccine and 34% probably would get the vaccine).
Meanwhile, 31% are unwilling to get the Covid-19 vaccine (consisting of 14% probably would not get the vaccine, and 17% definitely would not get the vaccine).
This shows that Filipinos are more willing to get the Covid-19 vaccine than they were to get Dengvaxia.