Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Jose Cabantan has urged the public to get vaccinated and not to believe in hearsays amid the continued rise in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country.

He said people should only listen to health experts.

“May we not be misled by erroneous fears or deceived by the latest misinformation in social media. Rather, in fidelity to Mother Church may we confidently follow the correct medical and ethical advice,” CBCP News quoted Cabantan's statement on Aug. 23.

The prelate said is praying that through vaccination, "we can begin to curb the scourge of the pandemic."

Cabantan also stressed the importance of doing everyone’s part to avoid the spread of the virus.

“Of course, some with comorbidities and following the advice of their doctors may not avail of vaccination. To these, and those who for reasons of conscience do not wish to be vaccinated, they must all still do their utmost to avoid becoming vehicles for the transmission of the infectious agent,” he said.

Cabantan said the archdiocese’s stand on vaccination is in accordance with the declarations of ranking church leaders, led by Pope Francis who in January said that people have the moral obligation to receive vaccines as it is a “simple but profound way of promoting the common good and caring for each other."

He said the Vatican’s Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, in December 2020, also declared that vaccination is morally acceptable against the COVID-19 as all vaccines are recognized as clinically safe and effective.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), in their Pastoral Letter on COVID-19 vaccines in January 2021, welcomed all the efforts to produce vaccines and called for its fair distribution.