Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Thursday he is willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in public to support the government’s vaccination information campaign.
Sotto assured the public that the COVID-19 vaccines that would be used in the Philippines are safe and effective. He added government officials like him should do the same to increase the public’s vaccine confidence.
“Lead by example. Iyan ang gusto kong gawin,” he said.
“Kung makikita ng ating mga kababayan na handa ang kanilang mga lider na magpabakuna sa kabila ng malawakang pagdududa kung ang mga bakuna ba ay epektibo o hindi, malamang ay ma-engganyo ang nakararami na makilahok sa vaccination program ng Malakanyang,” he added.
Sotto said public servants should make efforts to convince the public to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Hanggang ngayon ay punong-puno pa rin ng alinlangan ang ating mga kababayan kung epektibo nga ba ang mga binibiling bakuna ng Department of Health. Marami pa rin ang nagdadalawang-isip kung sila ba ay magpapabakuna o hindi,” Sotto said.
According to a survey conducted by professors and students of the University of the Philippines, 55.9 percent of 15,651 respondents said they would get vaccinated against coronavirus disease.
Of that number, 23.7 percent answered “yes” while 32.1 percent answered “probably yes.”
Sotto says he will be vaccinated in public
About 34 percent said they were unsure, 6.7 percent said “probably no” and 3.5 percent said “no.”
The survey also showed that people are more confident about vaccines from America and Europe.
Meanwhile, 38.6 percent of respondents to the survey said they had confidence in Russia’s vaccine.
A very small percentage of respondents said they had confidence in the vaccine from China.
Side effects caused by the vaccine are the main cause of concern of the respondents.
Malacañang announced on Thursday that over half a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Sinovac would arrive in the Philippines on February 23.
According to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said 600,000 doses will arrive on the said date, including the 100,000 doses the Chinese government donated to the Department of National Defense.
“Ang bakuna po ng Sinovac na galing China, nakaukit na po sa bato ang pagdating. Ito po ang ay sa 23 ng Pebrero, 23 February po darating ang Sinovac,” he said.