As more coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines become available in the country, many people may have questions about whether one type of vaccine is better than another.
However, Dr. Lulu Bravo of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, maintained that it doesn't matter which COVID-19 vaccine you get, they are all safe and effective.
"What matters most is the effectiveness and the impact that a vaccine can do to a country. We have already done Sinovac and AstraZeneca and if you look at the impact of what Sinovac has done in Indonesia, which is a country almost the same as ours, the outcome was good. Their COVID-19 cases are declining)," Bravo said during the Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday, May 19.
"The real-world impact is much higher than what we will call efficacy that's based on clinical trial because there are only a few clinical trials, only around 40,000 to 50,000. Meanwhile, there are millions who already received the vaccine. We already see the Sinovac's impact in Indonesia and the mRNA's impact in Israel," the vaccine expert noted in Filipino.
According to a new study by Indonesia's health ministry, China's Sinovac Biotech vaccines have proved highly effective among its healthcare workers.
The review, which looked at nearly 130,000 medics, found that two shots of Sinovac vaccine were 94 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 symptoms, 96 percent effective against hospitalization, and 98 percent effective in preventing death.
Over nine million have been fully vaccinated in Indonesia or 3.4 percent of the country's entire population.
"All vaccines have gone through studies, researches, and experts. So when experts say the vaccines are okay, they are okay to use. Let's not hesitate because we need to reach our target of inoculating 70 percent of the country's population," Bravo said.
"When we reach that target, we can gradually return to our normal life."
The government is eyeing to give full doses to 58 million to 70 million Filipinos to achieve herd immunity by December.
At least 676,000 Filipinos have been fully vaccinated in the Philippines or 0.6 percent of the country's entire population.
As of May 17, the country's vaccine supply stands at 7,779,050 doses, where 7,149,020 doses were already distributed to various hospitals nationwide.