The Department of Health suggested that the COVID-19 vaccine brands available in jab sites should not be announced.
According to Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje, this would prevent people from crowding and favoring any vaccine brand such as U.S.-made Pfizer.
“Maybe one of the strategies that can be made is hindi na ia-announce kung anong bakuna ang ibibigay. Kung gusto ninyo magpabakuna, pumunta kayo sa ganitong facility o kaya vaccination site tapos kung ano ‘yung bakuna na available ‘yun ang dapat kunin nila,” she said in a Laging Handa public briefing.
(Maybe one of the strategies that can be made is to no longer announce the vaccine that will be given. If they want to get vaccinated, they should go to the site and get whatever vaccine is available there, regardless of brand.)
“Kung anong bakuna ang available, dapat kunin mo na. That will help the flow,” she added.
(Whatever vaccine is available, they should get it. That will help the flow.)
DOH to jab sites: Don’t announce available vaccine brands
Cabotaje clarified that health workers who first received COVID-19 vaccines were given the “right of first refusal.”
“Binigyan natin ng right of first refusal ang ating mga health workers because of the fact that at the beginning ‘yung Sinovac was not advisable, not recommended for health workers,” she said.
(We gave health workers the right of first refusal because at the beginning Sinovac was not advisable, not recommended for health workers.)
“Other than that dapat wala nang right of refusal. Kung ano ‘yung vaccine kunin mo, kapag hindi mo kukunin, then you go down the end of the line,” she added.
(Other than that, there should be no right of refusal. Whatever vaccine is there, get it, if you don’t you do down the end of the line.)
President Rodrigo Duterte also reminded the people not to be “choosy” when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine brand that will be given to them.
“They are all potent. They are all effective. So wala — there’s no reason for you really to be choosy about it. The only reason is ayaw kong magkaroon ng — magkaroon ng ano ‘yong istorya na may pinapaboran kami na itong ito. Wala,” said Duterte.
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