Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Thursday said it's important to let people know what COVID vaccines they are having, noting that transparency is key to alleviating vaccine mistrust.
In a bid to cure choosiness over vaccine brands, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año earlier instructed local government units to stop informing vaccinees about which vaccine they are having until they arrive at immunization centers.
But Sotto said "it's a matter of how we frame and communicate it," emphasizing that in order to convince people, it must be explained to them that ultimately, the brand of vaccine shouldn't matter.
"For me, as a transparency advocate, a good governance advocate.. it's important that we let people know, or try to convince them, na kahit anong brand, basta meron, kesa wala," he said.
ALSO READ:
Want Pfizer Over Sinovac? DILG Wants to Cure Your Brand Preference
Who's on the COVID-19 Vaccine Priority List?
Sotto said given the global supply chain problem hounding access to vaccines, people must get what's available.
It must also be communicated to them that all COVID vaccines are equal in the protection they offer against severe hospitalization, he said.
"We have to use what's available. If the people understand that na pare-pareho naman 'yan 100% sa severe, hindi ka mamatay kapag nabakunahan ka na, kahit magka-covid ka," he said.
"Kahit nga 50% less chance that you'll get COVID, hindi ba malaking bagay na yun? Ta's 100% chance, di ka mamamatay, most likely hindi ka mao-ospital. I think it's a matter of how we frame and communicate it," he added.
Addressing the issue of vaccine hesitancy, the Pasig Mayor urged experts to help communicate on the ground in a "way that's easy to digest and easy to understand" the benefits of vaccination.
