Dr. Jonas del Rosario lost both his parents to the novel coronavirus last year. The spokesman of the Philippine General Hospital, in fact, joined his father Bonifacio and mother Carmelita in the PGH ward for COVID-19 patients when he himself contracted the disease while looking after them. He survived the dreaded respiratory disease, but had to bid his parents a final farewell.
Now, days before the start of the vaccine rollout in the country, Del Rosario will be the first to get the jab among the personnel of PGH, which has been identified as the hospital to receive the first batch of vaccines once the doses arrive.
If there is anything that needs to spread more quickly than the novel coronavirus, it is the confidence of the likes of Del Rosario on the vaccine as a solution to the pandemic.
But in a recent survey conducted by Pulse Asia, only a third of the 2,400 Filipino adult respondents said they are willing to be vaccinated. That left 47 percent who do not want to get inoculated, while 21 percent remained undecided. The primary reason was concerns about the safety of the vaccines. This was followed by concerns on whether they will have to pay for the doses and whether the price will be exorbitant. Five percent of the respondents said they believe the vaccine is unnecessary to combat the virus.
We are not downplaying the concerns being raised. It is but proper for people to exercise critical thinking when it comes to something as essential as getting vaccinated. That the virus is mutating and with certain strains proving much more difficult to battle makes it even more worrisome. However, outright denying the need for a vaccine and refusing to even consider evidence backed by science is not sound, at best, and irresponsible, at worse.
Vaccine efficacy varies. Some pharmaceutical firms have put their efficacy at 95 percent while others were at the 50 to 60 percent efficacy level. Some may be less effective against the new variants, but even then, these vaccines remain very effective in preventing severe cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
There are possible side effects. Like any medication, any vaccine, not just those for COVID-19, may cause side effects which are usually minor and go away after a few days (fatigue, headache, fever, nausea, or diarrhea, among others). According to the Department of Health, severe or life-threatening reactions are extremely rare. The benefit of protection outweighs the risk.
You will not pay for the vaccine. Under the emergency authorization issued by the Food and Drug Administration, it is only the government that is allowed to procure vaccines. Thus, any COVID-19 vaccine that arrives in the country cannot be sold to the public until full market authorization is approved.
Whether or not you are part of the priority groups that will first get inoculated, the government will continue negotiations to ensure adequate supply for all Filipinos. And while getting vaccinated is not mandatory, would you really want to risk not just contracting the virus, but infecting your loved ones as well?
The government is now in the thick of implementing an information campaign to address legitimate concerns and even misinformed views on the COVID-19 vaccines. The target is tall and the deadline is pressing: inoculate at least 70 million Filipinos this year, or 60 percent of the population which scientists estimate was needed to reach herd immunity. By doing so, we lower the overall amount of virus able to spread in the whole population, breaking the chain of COVID-19 transmission.
But a vaccine is not a magic pill, and achieving herd immunity does not make COVID go away. A vaccine is one of the solutions, but it is not the only solution. Go get the jab, but adhere still to minimum public health standards and practice safe behavior. Wear your mask. Observe social distancing. Getting a vaccine is not a passport to throw all caution to the wind.
I can only imagine how Del Rosario must have felt the need to do more than be PGH’s public face to explain the need for a vaccine and an effective vaccination program. His decision to get the first shot is proof of the strong confidence of the medical community in the existing COVID-19 vaccines, which have led to fewer infections, hospitalizations and deaths in countries that have started the rollout earlier.
After all, Del Rosario is not just an orphaned son with a fervent hope that other people would not have to experience the pain of losing a loved one to the pandemic that has left more than 2.3 million people dead worldwide. He is foremost a doctor – a man of science – giving his seal of approval to a means to stem the spread of the invisible enemy that gives no quarters and kills without discrimination.
JV Arcena is the Assistant Secretary for Global Media and Public Affairs of PCOO. Prior to joining the Philippine government, he previously worked for the U.S. Department of State’s Asia-Pacific Regional Media Hub. A former journalist and Palace reporter of TV5, JV covered politics, elections, global and regional issues, calamities, the judiciary, among others.
