President Rodrigo Duterte will receive the COVID-19 vaccine in public in an effort to improve vaccine confidence but the date will yet to be announced, his spokesman said on Monday.
“Well, that’s of course in recognition of the fact na naghihintay ng senyales ang taumbayan kung talaga sila’y magpapabakuna o hindi (Well, that’s of course in recognition of the fact that the public is waiting for a sign whether they will get vaccinated or not),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque disclosed.
The president earlier decided to get the shot privately but had a change of heart. Sec. Roque attributed this to the Chief Executive’s aspiration to instill confidence, saying that the vaccine is the solution to the pandemic.
Based on the latest survey of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), only 3 out of 10 individuals in the National Capital Region (NCR) are willing to get inoculated against COVID-19.
According to Dr. Minguita Padilla, co-convenor of Doctors for Truth and Public Welfare, notable personalities play a role in boosting vaccine confidence in the country.
“Hangga’t hindi nakikita ng taumbayan na nagpapabakuna ang mga doktor nila na pinagkakatiwalaan, mga government officials, mga celebrities, mga pari na kilala nila… mahirap talaga i-buildup ang vaccine confidence (As long as the public does not see vaccination of their own doctors, government officials, celebrities, and priests they know, it will be really hard to build up vaccine confidence),” Padilla said.
Roque clarified the vaccination of officials will only be conducted to boost confidence and not because they are VIPs. – PTV News Online
