By Alec Go
The Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Friday (April 16) called out media institutions publishing “disinformation” about COVID-19 vaccines.
The DOST and DOH said in a statement that there have been insinuations that the government’s Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) is “promoting” a single brand of COVID-19 vaccine.
They clarified that they are “guided by science” and “objective in evaluating the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.” Both agencies neither mentioned the name of the media institutions nor the vaccine being referred to.
“In times of crisis, clear and effective communication can spell the difference between life and death. We have seen how crucial clear and effective communication is and it is for this very reason that we continue to expand our capacities to communicate always in pursuit of equipping Filipinos with the right knowledge to protect not only themselves but their loved ones as well,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire emphasized.
“We appeal primarily to our media partners to exercise caution when reporting potentially misleading information about COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccines are safe and vaccines are effective and we all know this,” Vergeire added.
The government and local experts have already given their assurance that COVID-19 vaccines approved by stringent regulatory bodies abroad are safe after undergoing several phases of trials, and are effective in preventing severe COVID-19 cases.
Meanwhile, more doses of vaccines are expected to arrive in the coming months from Sinovac Biotech, Novavax, Gamaleya Institute, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer-BioNTech.
Based on the status of deliveries shared by Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on April 13, two million doses are expected to be delivered this month from Sinovac and Gamaleya. The country is also expecting 4,194,000 doses – two million each from Sinovac and Gamaleya, and 194,000 doses from Moderna. -jlo
