Garin to Bato: Your ‘irresponsible’ remark may worsen doubts on vaccination

Former Health Secretary Janette Garin. INQUIRER.net photo / Consuelo Marquez

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s “highly irresponsible” remark on vaccines may worsen parents’ doubts on the effectivity of vaccination, House Deputy Minority Leader Janette Garin lamented Wednesday.

Dela Rosa reportedly asked resource persons at a Senate committee hearing Tuesday if it’s possible that vaccine creators are behind outbreaks so their vaccines would be bought. This came after the declaration of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, dengue, and polio in the past weeks.

“At this point where people are dying because of supposed vaccine-preventable diseases, I would look at that statement as highly irresponsible,” Garin, a doctor, and former Health secretary said during their weekly press conference.

The Iloilo 1st District representative lamented that this “uncalled for” statement could fuel parents’ doubts on vaccines, and a “big slap” to many Filipino scientists engaged in the development of vaccines.

“Those statements, pwedeng nagpapa-cute lang, pwedeng nagpapatawa, hindi ko alam I was not there. But when I saw it unang pumasok sa isip ko baka madagdagan uli ang duda ng mga magulang sa epekto ng bakuna,” she said

(Those statements could be said in jest, I don’t know, I was not there. But when I saw it, I immediately thought this could worsen doubts of parents on the effectivity of vaccines.)

“At siguro naman ‘yung mga doktor na totoo at totoong eksperto hindi mo namang gugustuhing mamatay ang tao para ka lang kumita,” she added.

(I doubt if doctors and real experts would want to let people die just so they could earn a profit.) /jpv