(Eagle News) — Senator Christoppher “Bong” Go said that he is willing to be publicly given a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine if only to convince people that it is safe.
In a Laging Handa press briefing, Go said that he wanted the public to feel safe about being immunized against COVID-19, especially amid the presence of new variants that are more infectious than previous strains.
This is why, he said, that he along with other cabinet members of President Rodrigo Duterte such as vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III are willing to be vaccinated in public.
“Dahil parating na po ang bakuna at nababalitaan ko po na bago matapos ang buwang ito ay darating na iyong mga unang vaccine mula sa COVAX, ay siguraduhin muna nating kumbinsihin iyong ating mga kababayan na ligtas po itong vaccine na ito,” he said on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021.
Go, a former close-aide of President Duterte, said that he had made the rounds of the provinces and he knows that for the public the safety and efficacy of a vaccine is very important, and they should be convinced about this. What is needed is to get Filipinos to trust the vaccine.
“Maraming gustong magpabakuna, pero sinasabi nila mauna muna kayo. Kayo muna ang mauna! Kaya tayong mga nasa gobyerno, hinikayat ko si Secretary Galvez and willing naman po siya. Si Secretary Duque at tayong mga nasa gobyerno not because tayo ay prayoridad, pero dapat nating kunin iyong kumpiyansa ng mamamayan na puwede na po itong iturok sa bawat Pilipino. Eh, iyon lang po ang susi ngayon, bakuna para makabalik tayo sa ating normal na pamumuhay, unti-unti,” he said.
The senator also assured the public that there is no corruption in the government’s efforts to obtain the vaccines against COVID-19.
He said he and President Duterte especially would not allow the vaccine acquisition to be tainted by corruption.
“Nagkakahirap na nga ang ating kapwa Pilipino, tapos mayroon pang magti-take advantage. Hindi po kami papayag! Ni piso po, walang dapat masayang sa pera ng gobyerno,” he said.
Go, the chair of the Senate Committee on Healh and Democracy, said that the brand of a vaccine is not important as long as it is effective and safe. He said he believes that those who should be vaccinated first are the frontliners, the senior citizens, and the poor; and that vaccines to be given to them are for free. But he said if him being vaccinated in public was needed to get the public to trust COVID-19 vaccines, then he would do it.
“Para makuha natin ang kumpiyansa, willing po ako, hindi po importante sa akin kung anong brand, ang importante po safety po ng vaccine,” he said.
Malacanang, however, said that President Duterte if given the vaccine would be done privately.
The government is still working on raising the public’s vaccine trust and confidence as recent surveys such as those done through mobile phone by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) which noted that “people’s fear of infection by Covid-19 is even greater than in encounters with past viruses.”
The survey also showed that the public’s fear is “worsened by concerns that government reports may be understating the problem” on COVID-19
It also said that “the great majority of the people cooperate with health protocols on using masks and shields, washing hands, physical distancing, and staying at home; they are also willing to help in contact tracing.”
(Eagle News Service)
