Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Thursday, May 20, said it's important to let people know what COVID vaccines they are having, noting that transparency is key to alleviating vaccine mistrust.
In a bid to cure choosiness over vaccine brands, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año earlier instructed local government units to stop disclosing which vaccine will be used whenever contacting people about vaccine appointments.
But Sotto said "it's a matter of how we frame and communicate it," emphasizing that in order to convince people, it must be explained to them that ultimately, the brand of vaccine shouldn't matter.
"For me, as a transparency advocate, a good governance advocate...it's important that we let people know, or try to convince them, na kahit anong brand, basta meron, kaysa wala," he said.
Sotto said given the global supply chain problem hindering access to vaccines, people must get what's available.
It must also be communicated to them that all COVID vaccines are equal in the protection they offer against severe hospitalization, he said.
"We have to use what's available. If the people understand na pare-pareho naman 'yan 100% sa severe, hindi ka mamatay kapag nabakunahan ka na, kahit magka-COVID ka," he said.
"Kahit nga 50% less chance that you'll get COVID, hindi ba malaking bagay na yun? Ta's 100% chance, di ka mamamatay, most likely hindi ka mao-ospital. I think it's a matter of how we frame and communicate it," he added.
Addressing the issue of vaccine hesitancy, the Pasig mayor urged experts to help communicate the benefits of vaccination in a "way that's easy to digest and easy to understand."
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