Some local officials are skeptical of the order not to say the brand to be used in vaccination against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
League of Provinces of the Philippines National President Presbitero Velasco Jr., governor of Marinduque, opposed the recommendation.
According to Velasco, it is not right and a violation of human rights not to mention the details of the vaccine that will be given to them.
The vaccinee must also be aware of the risks of the injection and cannot force it if he does not want to.
He also said that an individual has the right to refuse to be vaccinated if he does not want the brand to be injected into him.
“Yan po ay hindi pwedeng hindi sabihin yun. Meron pong Right of Informed Consent at karapatan po ng kahit sinong tao, ng bawat Pilipino na malaman ano ‘yung risk doon sa gamot na i-inject sa atin o kaya anong benefit at ano ba ‘yung mga alternatibong pwedeng gamitin. Karapatan ho ‘yan, di pwedeng alisin, human rights ho ‘yan,” said Velasco, a former Supreme Court justice.
For Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro, the people need to know what kind of vaccine will be used.
‘Non-disclosure’ of COVID-19 vaccine brand opposed
Teodoro explained that the choice of which vaccines only the local government has is limited.
He also said that the pre-registration system should be strictly enforced instead of not announcing the brand of the vaccine.
“Ang pinakamahalaga lang sa atin ay informed yung consent, yung naiintindihan ng mga kabababayan natin kung ano yung available na pwede nilang pagpilian at kung gugustuhin nila they could proceed with vaccination at kung hindi naman pwede silang maghintay kung kelan maging available. It does not follow eh, kung babanggitin mo o hindi mo babanggitin eh,” said Teodoro.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government has also ordered that the brand of the vaccine to be used at the vaccine site will no longer be announced to prevent overcrowding. This is something recommended by the Department of Health.
But the DILG clarified that the individual at the vaccination site will know which brand of COVID-19 vaccine will be injected into him.
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