The government is resorting to measures to increase vaccine confidence among Filipinos following the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey result showing that 66 percent are willing to be inoculated.
The Department of Health (DOH) has already formed a task force on the matter “to promote vaccine confidence and to explain that this vaccine will be the next best thing that we can possibly have to revert to normal and to be able to fully open up the economy.”
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III assured that they will “be simply managing” and “ready to respond” to possible allergic reactions of the vaccine.
In the United Kingdom, two individuals who were administered Pfizer vaccines reportedly had allergic reactions.
The DOH advised individuals to boost their immune system once they are inoculated following the advice of Russian health officials to avoid drinking alcohol two weeks prior and 42 days after Sputnik V is administered.
“Para mag-work sa inyo ang bakuna, kailangan robust ang immune system mo para nakakapag-develop nang maayos na antibody ang iyong katawan (You need a robust immune system for the vaccine to work and for your body to develop proper antibodies),” DOH USec. Maria Rosario Vergeire explained.
President Rodrigo Duterte recently volunteered to be one of the first to get injected to show that the approved vaccines are safe and effective.
“Ang presidente ay hindi na talaga makahintay. Gusto na niyang turukan na siya para maipakita na niya sa buong bayan na ligtas at epektibo at ito ay dumaan sa expert panel group ng pinakadalubhasang Pilpino (The president cannot wait. He wants to be inoculated to show the whole nation that the vaccine is safe and effective and has been reviewed by the expert panel group of the best Filipino specialists),” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque stated. – Report from Mark Fetalco
