Senator Nancy Binay on Thursday joined other lawmakers in crticizing the Department of Health's (DOH) "brand agnostic" policy, saying the public should not be blamed over its decision not to inform patients of the brand of COVID-19 vaccines that would be used on them.

In the first place, Binay said the DOH is at fault for the lack of information drive on the available vaccines included in the roll-out of the national vaccination plan, which is why most Filipinos were hesitant to get inoculated but suddenly crowded jab sites where Pfizer vaccines were made avaialble.

“Kung brand crowding ang concern ng DOH, malinaw na communication issue yan, (If DOH is concerned over brand crowding, it’s clear that is just a communication issue),” Binay said when sought to comment on the policy.

“Meron pagkukulang ang DOH in informing and educating the public. At hindi yan dapat ibuntong ang sisi sa tao (The DOH was negligent in informing and educating the public. They should not blame the people),” she said.

The DOH earlier said it is pushing for a “brand vaccine agnostic” policy in the government’s immunization program to avoid the repeat of the chaos that ensued in vaccination sites where Pfizer jabs were offered.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said it was President Duterte who made the order after he saw the overcrowding and lack of social distancing that ensued in the inoculation sites.

But Binay said this policy runs counter to the rights of the citizens to be informed as to what type of vaccine they should receive.

“Kaya nga meron ng informed consent form kasi binibigyan natin ng pagpapahalaga ang full disclosure sa kung ano ang ituturok sa katawan, and consideration din sa (That’s why we have the informed consent form because we give the premium to the patients’ need for a full disclosure of what kind of vaccine that would be used on them and consideration on the) capacity of the person to decide,” Binay explained.

“In general, as far as the patient's health and rights are concerned, the DOH has to put a high premium on informing those who are to be inoculated as to what type of vaccine, contraindications, side effects—and in this case--what brand of vaccine shall be administered, so that people would be aware if having that particular vaccine would merit some precautions on their part,” she reiterated.