Expert says vaccine-hesitant Filipinos need to be convinced shots are safe

Filipinos need to be convinced that vaccines are safe and effective to quell hesitancy on getting COVID-19 jabs, a health expert said Wednesday.

On Balitanghali, Dr. Lulu Bravo, executive director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, was asked if vaccine hesitancy is still an issue after President Rodrigo Duterte warned that individuals who refused to get arrested will face arrest. 

"Slowly, more people will get vaccinated. Those hesitant to get vaccinated, they will be convinced once they witness how safe the vaccines are," Bravo explained in Filipino.

"I think this is what we need. We need to convince people that vaccines are safe. All over the world, with one billion people already vaccinated, are they not yet convinced that these vaccines are safe and effective to end this pandemic?" Bravo said in a mix of Filipino and English.

Despite Duterte's directive, the Departments of Justice and Health said that a Filipino has the right to refuse vaccination, and that freely given consent is required before a person can be vaccinated.

To date, the Philippines has deployed 12,066,680 vaccine doses since it started its COVID-19 immunization program in March.

Meanwhile, a total of 8,407,342 vaccines were administered nationwide. Of the number, 6,253,400 were first dose while 2,153,942 were second dose. — Consuelo Marquez/BM, GMA News