Seminars improve confidence in COVID-19 vaccines –DILG

Seminars can improve people's confidence in COVID-19 vaccines as observed in several town hall meetings, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said.

In a statement on Sunday, DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said they observed a change of attitude among attendees, who became more likely to get vaccinated after a series of webinars.

“Nakakatuwa na sa gitna ng mga agam-agam sa bakuna, mas dumarami ang nakahanda nang magpabakuna,” he said.

“Nawa’y mas marami pa ang makumbinsi dahil ito ang pinakamabisang paraan para maabot natin ang herd immunity laban sa COVID-19,” he added.

During the town hall meetings, comparative data of entry and exit polls were gathered.

Malaya thus urged local government units to conduct town hall sessions and community engagement activities to improve confidence in vaccines.

“Now that the vaccines have arrived, all LGUs should start conducting town hall meetings, barangay assemblies to increase demand and vaccine confidence in the grassroots,” he said.

In February, Malaya said the biggest challenge for local governments in the COVID-19 inoculation drive was the low demand among their residents.

Malaya attributed the low demand for vaccination to the unverified negative information that the public keeps getting from social media. — DVM, GMA News