Vaccine hesitancy 'a big challenge', testing czar

Addressing vaccine hesitancy among the Filipinos is a big challenge, according to testing czar Vince Dizon.

He laments that there are only a number of Filipinos who  have faith in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination. 

"Latest surveys show between 30 to 40 percent only have the confidence to get inoculated. The challenge is to increase that (confidence)," said Dizon during the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (C.O.D.E.) Team visit in San Juan, Wednesday, Feb. 10.

With the expected arrival of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines this month, Dizon is hoping that the country will soon see an end to the pandemic.

“Yesterday, we held a simulation activity for the arrival of the vaccines. We'll soon see the arrival of the first batch of vaccines from COVAX," he said. 

And according to Dizon, Metro Manila including the hospitals in San Juan will be among the first to receive the 117,000 doses of COVID vaccines.

"I think if we are able to show that it is safe, effective...the public's confidence in the vaccines will increase," he said.

Dizon then thanked everyone who worked hard to get the country to this point.

"We are almost there...We need to work together in this last chapter in our nationwide vaccination program," he said.