By Teresa May Bandiola
It’s no secret that the Philippines has been a victim of a partially studied and politically-influenced vaccination program. In 2017, news broke out about the administration of a dengue vaccine to public school children, with reports of no parental consent, and included those healthy seronegative (previously uninfected) individuals. The vaccination was suspended because the Philippine government was advised by the vaccine manufacturer that its seronegative recipients would be at higher risk of severe breakthrough dengue infections.
The controversy was fuelled further when investigations revealed that the purchase of vaccines began with the impending 2016 national elections, making speculations that corruption, indeed, played a major role.
This unfortunate history left an excruciating scar on the hearts of many Filipinos. It left a repugnant message that even our own government cannot protect us.
This ethical issue impacted succeeding public health concerns. The vaccine hesitancy worsened and has negatively affected the country’s immunization programs. The measles and polio outbreaks in 2019 were attributed to lowered vaccination rates. And today, as the country prepares for the mass vaccination for Covid-19, the current government is more than challenged to convince the public to receive the free vaccine. This is a clear indication that vaccine hesitancy suppressed the desire for new vaccines, for new innovations and healthier solutions.
It’s crucial that the government takes a closer look not only at the magnitude of vaccine hesitancy but also at the roots of fear, not just politically but also socially and culturally. People fear vaccines for different reasons, and the first step to improve vaccine acceptance is to address the particular fear that prevents it. Reflecting on the dengue vaccine controversy, Filipinos did not exactly lose faith in the science of vaccines. Instead, Filipinos lost faith in government integrity, therefore, the historic issues that breed distrust must be addressed.
In addition, local governments must have a more specific and concrete approach in their vaccine campaign strategies to establish vaccine literacy and acceptance such as addressing community-specific misconceptions and concerns, especially those linked to religious or philosophical beliefs. It’s crucial to debunk that Covid-19 vaccines don’t come from aborted fetuses. Local leaders should not underestimate the power of small-scale public communication and information and the emphasis on overall collective victory against individual interest. This will not only benefit the Covid-19 vaccines but the future vaccines, as well.
The most often neglected part in vaccine drives is the failure to name the ingredients in Covid-19 vaccines. One of the reasons that people fear vaccines is because anti-vaccination activists promoted the wrong claim that the mercury-based preservative in vaccines called “thimerosal” causes autism. There is no evidence that links thimerosal and autism. Autism rates continued even though thimerosal was removed from almost all childhood vaccines. When it comes to the Covid-19 vaccines, there are manufacturers that reported the absence of preservatives in their vaccines, and also absence of eggs and latex that might trigger unexpected allergic reactions. This, however, is not a guarantee that some people won’t have an allergic reaction, and that is why evaluation prior to getting vaccinated is a protocol. And even if an unexpected allergic reaction occurs, there are especially trained vaccine providers that give immediate care and services.
Another is on the issue of transparency, especially with government deals and purchases, and now that 2022 national elections are fast approaching. Even in major crises like this pandemic, the business of politics-greed-corruption continued to blossom. It’s not fair for Filipino taxpayers to be robbed over and over and is forced to pay growing government debts. These political gods continue to live in excess while many ordinary citizens lose their jobs and can’t even have a decent meal.
Political leaders must also take on being the role model. The best leaders lead by example, they say. Receiving the vaccine publicly is not only to inspire the public and boost trust and confidence in science but also as a historical precedent.
Why You Should Get Vaccinated
It is critical that Filipinos move forward optimistically and separate facts from fiction. We need to understand how more deadly Covid-19 pandemic can be if there is lower vaccination coverage and loss of herd immunity. Here are some reasons why you should receive the Covid-19 vaccine:
- Getting vaccinated will protect you and the people around you.It’s no question that vaccines save lives. That has been proven against many life-threatening diseases, for many years. Vaccines work by intentionally introducing the body to a harmless form of a disease-causing germ, or something similar to it. This then provokes your immune system to produce proteins called antibodies that protect you from a future infection if your body encounters the real germ.
Receiving the vaccine not only protects yourself, but also those who are unable to get vaccinated and those with a higher risk for severe Covid-19. To add, experts believe that even though you do contract the virus, being able to receive the vaccine may also prevent you from getting seriously ill.
- Getting vaccinated means you are helping solve the pandemic problem.If you are not vaccinated, you are only increasing your possibility of being one of the casualties. If you become sick, you will not only suffer tremendously but also those health frontliners who are already overworked and underpaid, those who are eager to come home safely and spend quality time with their families.
The combination of being vaccinated and following the recommendations of the Department of Health (DoH) will synergize your protection against Covid-19.
- Covid-19 vaccines are approved by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and underwent rigorous reviews.Vaccines for Covid-19 have been closely monitored by the whole world. It sparked a race among powerful nations. It exerted enormous pressure on scientists to develop safe and effective vaccines.
There are reasons behind the quick development of vaccines. Aside from the emergency status that accelerated reviews and approvals, there were a lot of volunteers for clinical trials and researchers did not wait a long time to convince people to volunteer. Also, there were huge amounts of funding from various sources and the production of vaccines started in advance.
Regardless of brand and country of origin, the Philippine FDA grants “Emergency Use Authorization” for Covid-19 vaccines that meet rigorous safety and efficacy criteria. There are also systems that allow the government for closely monitoring and surveillance even after a person is vaccinated.
The Possible Challenges
For Covid-19 vaccines that require succeeding shots, it’s essential for the government to ensure compliance in order to complete the required vaccine doses. The public should be clearly informed on the government approaches or platforms like text messages or mobile applications as reminders for the next shot.
Beating a pandemic may require years and exhaustion of every available resource. Successful mass vaccination is among the methods to effectively reduce Covid-19 deaths and cases.
Get vaccinated, and you will do your moral responsibility as a human being!
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Teresa May Bandiola is a licensed pharmacist, writer, and university instructor. She can be reached at bandiolateresamayb@gmail.com.
