Galvez sees information drive as key to boosting vaccine confidence

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Monday night said an information campaign was the key to allaying fears about vaccination and encouraging Filipinos to get inoculated against COVID-19.

In a nationally televised briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte, Galvez said they were trying to address the low vaccine confidence among Filipinos.

The situation was aggravated by some reports on the adverse effects of  COVID-19 vaccines and by the social media posts of anti-vaxxers.

“Ito po ang medyo may problema tayo na talagang dapat pagtulungan po natin. Alam po namin na malaki po ang maitutulong ng ating Presidente kasi po bumababa po ‘yong willingness ng ating mga kababayan dahil nga po sa mga adverse effects ng certain brands, at the same time, malakas po sa social media ‘yong mga anti-vaxxers,” Galvez said.

The government would thus launch a program to boost vaccine confidence among Filipinos.

Further, Galvez pointed out that the vaccines the Philippines was procuring were widely used in other countries.

“Para po magkaroon ng confidence ang ating mga mamamayan, ‘yong halos apat dito po sa nakuha nating vaccine ay widely-used na po katulad po ng Pfizer na kukuha rin po tayo mayroon na po 35 million na nabakunahan. ‘Yong Sinopharm, mayroon pong 7.2 million, ‘yong Sinovac na darating po sa atin mayroon na pong 6.1 million, ‘yong CanSino 5 million, AstraZeneca more or less 1 million at tsaka po ‘yong Gamaleya,” he said.

Earlier, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said his department would use a “massive” information campaign to encourage Filipinos to get inoculated against COVID-19.

In 2017, the maker of the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia said people who had not had dengue before getting inoculated with their vaccine were at higher risk of a more severe case of dengue.

More than 100 parents have since blamed the deaths of their children on the vaccine and filed criminal complaints against government officials responsible for the immunization program. Many of the cases are now in court, more are pending with prosecutors.

The Department of Health said the link between the deaths and the vaccine had not been proven, but the Dengvaxia controversy was followed by a sharp drop in vaccine confidence in the Philippines.

According to a Pulse Asia survey, only 32% of Filipinos said they were willing to be vaccinated against the virus. A near majority, or 47%, said they were not inclined to be inoculated.

Another survey by OCTA Research also showed that only one out of four Metro Manila residents was willing to be vaccinated. — DVM, GMA News