Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the Health Department’s non-disclosure of vaccine brand policy would not increase the vaccine confidence of the public.
“Personally, it will not help to overcome fear. It will aggravate fear among our constituents. One of the things that helps comfort them is knowing what type of vaccine that they will be injected with,” Gatchalian said in an ANC interview.
“They know about vaccine passports, the efficacy rates, they do their own homework, and depriving them of the brand in advance will create this notion of uncertainty, and that will not help them in terms of building confidence,” he added.
Last week, the DOH announced that local government units were ordered not to announce the COVID-19 vaccine brands used during a certain vaccination schedule.
Gatchalian cited a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, which showed only 32% of the Filipinos are willing to avail themselves of the vaccine.
The senator suggested the country’s top officials to promote vaccination to the public.
Also read: ‘Non-disclosure’ of COVID-19 vaccine brand opposed
Non-disclosure of vaccine brand to create doubt among public: Gatchalian
“My simple strategy is that for the leaders to come out and promote vaccination—the top leaders the President, Vice President, Senate President, even the Speaker of the House, and even media personalities to go out and promote,” he said.
“People follow their leaders, and people trust their leaders. And if they see their leaders are getting vaccinated and promoting vaccination, people will follow. At this time, the biggest hurdle that we have to overcome is fear of vaccines,” he added.
Meanwhile, Gatchalian also asked the government to start the COVID-19 vaccination of the general public or to “those who are willing” next month.
“We’re now in our third month of our vaccination program, and from my observation, it’s about time to move the general public up in the priority program as early as June,” he said in an ANC interview.
“So meaning, allowing the general public, anyone who is willing to take their vaccine to be vaccinated as early as June,” he added.
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