ILOILO CITY—Former health secretary and Iloilo First District Rep. Janette Loreto Garin is pushing for more literacy campaign to boost confidence on vaccines, especially that the country has not yet started the vaccination program against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“Vaccine hesitancy in this country is still very high. We need to correct the misinformation. We can only do that by educating people,” Garin told Manila Bulletin.
Garin led another public forum in Tigbauan town as part of the literacy campaign to boost confidence among the populace. In southern Iloilo province, a survey found that only 20 percent of residents are willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Garin pointed out that this is figure is not far from the less than 30 percent of the country’s senior citizens, who are among the top priorities for the COVID-19 vaccine, who are favorable.
“If there are 7.7 million senior citizens, it means 5 million do not want to get the vaccine,” Garin emphasized.
The lady lawmaker and a doctor by profession said this is the effect of a big anti-vaccine community. It is not only due to the controversial anti-dengue vaccine during her tenure as health secretary.
“Remember the opposition against tetanus and measles vaccines,” Garin emphasized.
“But we can always change minds as long as we give people the proper information and how it can benefit them,” Garin added.