Galvez: Let’s not wait for best vaccine

MANILA, Philippines — National Task Force against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Monday told Filipinos not to wait for the “best vaccine” and just opt for what’s available that is effective and efficient.

He made the statement as the government kickstarted its Covid-19 vaccination program at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) using China-made Sinovac vaccines.

Galvez encouraged Filipinos to get vaccinated as it is their “moral obligation” to do so.

“Ito ay moral obligation po ng lahat ng mga tao na dapat tayo magpabakuna at dapat ‘wag nating hintayin ‘yung tinatawag na best vaccine,” he said in a speech.

(This is everyone’s moral obligation that we need to get vaccinated, and we should not wait for the so-called best vaccine.)

“There is no such best vaccine dahil ang pinaka-best vaccine ay yung effective at efficient na dumarating ng mas maaga (because the best vaccine is the one that is effective and efficient which arrived earlier),” he added.

“Nakita natin na mataas nga ang efficacy pero darating this coming pang third and fourth quarter,” he further said.

(We see the higher efficacy rate but it will arrive in the third and fourth quarter of the year.)

He revealed that President Rodrigo Duterte ordered him to get vaccinated against Covid-19 to boost vaccine confidence among Filipinos.

On Sunday, the Philippines received its first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines from China’s Sinovac. These doses will be used to inoculate healthcare workers in several hospitals across Metro Manila.

In a recent survey done by Octa Research, a group of top academicians studying the coronavirus pandemic, only 19% of adult Filipinos are willing to get immunized against Covid-19 while 46% are unwilling even if an effective vaccine is available.

JE