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At this point of the pandemic, everyone already longs to end the lengthened lockdowns and social restrictions while waiting for the solution to this worldwide problem—the vaccines. Yet, when they finally arrived, Filipinos were hesitant to get them. Hence, we can’t help but ask, why?
It started off when the Dengvaxia controversy came in 2016 to twist the Filipinos’ perception on vaccines. According to Aljazeera (2021), the anti-dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia, was initially thought to be the key in eliminating the dengue outbreak which is one of the leading health concerns in the Philippines. However, after-school children received their shots of the said vaccine, news on several deaths and heightened risks for some pre-teen individuals alarmed the masses. This resulted in public fear and dismay, leading to the distrust in vaccines' safety and effectiveness.
That is why based on the study of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2018), the Filipinos’ vaccine confidence largely dropped from 93% in 2015 to 32% in 2018. Furthermore, the real test came by as the COVID-19 ravaged the country. Filipinos were in panic and in demand of generating vaccines, hoping that it would cure the pandemic. However, at the same time, people are still haunted by the terrors of the Dengvaxia controversy.
Besides the trauma brought by Dengvaxia, there are also other factors that contributed to public distrust in vaccines. According to an article of The World (2021), some of which are the rampant misinformation and disinformation, and conspiracy theories shared through the mainstream media; and the hold off on Sinovac, the most available vaccine in the country, due to the misleading information available in the Internet.
With these factors largely affecting the mindset of the Filipinos, vaccine hesitancy remains a barrier to achieving herd immunity. As indicated last June by Aljazeera (2021), only 4% of more than 110 million Filipinos have received their doses. In addition, a survey from Pulse Asia (2021) revealed that 6 out of 10 Filipinos are reluctant to get vaccinated (The World, 2021). With this information in hand, would it still be possible to restore their trust in vaccines that had been once lost?
Government officials try to address this by giving incentives in their vaccination rollout programs. These incentives are quite arbitrary and depend on what the local government can offer. Las Piñas City resorted to raffles whereas every month starting July, 10 immunized residents can win a livelihood package worth more than Php 5,000 including food and grocery items that can be used to start a sari-sari store. Moreover, San Luis, Pampanga has its own quirks as its municipal government raffles a cow every month for its immunized residents.
Furthermore, Vice President Leni Robredo launched the “Vaccine Express” as reported by the One News last June. It is a vaccination program for delivery riders in Manila aiming to provide them the immunity that they need in work. As they get their shots, they will also receive 500 pesos worth of gas cards from the Seaoil Foundation and Shell Philippines.
It might take some time to bring back the people’s confidence and trust in vaccines. Nonetheless, it is important to note that this dilemma is rooted from fear of a substance that is mistakenly perceived to do more harm than good in one’s life. But, fear not! The public, especially those who are misinformed and uninformed, must be patiently and persistently educated with the truths on vaccines. After all, it is the country’s priority to have as many vaccinated citizens as possible as we step forward towards achieving herd immunity. It is today, more than ever, when we need to bust the long-believed myths in health science. Hence, let us all do more and do better!
Written by Shiara Mae Hosmillo
Photo by Yari Magcamit
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