Marikina folks willing to get COVID-19 jab but want to see others vaccinated first

MANILA, Philippines — Marikina City residents seem to have no problem with getting inoculated against COVID-19, but would rather see others injected first to ease doubts about the jabs.

Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said this Tuesday, as he disclosed an informal query he made with constituents regarding their willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

“Kapag ikaw ay nagtanong, sasabihin sa iyo ay gustong magpabakuna ngunit kung pwede ay mauna muna ang iba,” he said.  “Kailangan natin ng mga lider na mangunguna — mga lider na magiging halimbawa upang pagtiwalaan ang proseso, pamamaraan at programa ng pagbabakuna.”

(If you ask people, they will tell you that they want to get vaccinated but if possible, let others get it first.  We need leaders who can step ahead and lead the way, by becoming an example so that people would trust the process, procedures, and the vaccine program itself.)

“Cautious optimism ito ang nararamdaman ng marami. Gusto pero nag-aalala. Kaya kailangan at mahalaga na mayroong manguna. Mayroong maging halimbawa. Ito ang dahilan kaya kahapon ako ay nagpasya na magpabakuna upang manguna at maging halimbawa,” he added.

(There is cautious optimism among many people. They want it, but they are anxious. That’s why it is important for someone to step forward, to become an example. This is the reason why I decided yesterday to have myself vaccinated.)

But Teodoro’s attempt to be the first Marikina City resident to get vaccinated against COVID-19 was rejected by the national government, as the list of priority mandates that health workers should have it first.

READ: Marikina mayor says nat’l gov’t turns down his request to get anti-Covid shot

Marikina City residents are not alone in their sentiments about the COVID-19 vaccines. Some surveys have indicated people’s hesitation to get vaccinated, especially among Metro Manila dwellers.

Last January 7, Pulse Asia said 47 percent of Filipinos would not want to get vaccinated against the new coronavirus while a separate survey of OCTA Research showed 46 percent of Filipino adults said they are unwilling to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Likewise, OCTA Research said in a previous report that only 25 percent of Metro Manila residents will allow themselves to be immunized against the virus.

The top reason that was given by 73 percent of respondents for not getting the Covid-19 vaccine, OCTA Research said, was a concern for the safety of the vaccines, followed by doubts about the efficacy of such jabs.

Although Marikina City does not have the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, lack of faith in the vaccine and ultimately shunning it may present a big problem, especially that OCTA Research recently warned that a new and quicker COVID-19 surge has already started in some areas of the National Capital Region.

Still, Teodoro said they will respect the decision of people and health workers who opt to wait for the vaccine of their choice.

“Ginagalang ang karapatan ng bawat isang healthcare worker o ninuman na tumanggi at pumili ng bakuna na kanyang gagamitin na may angkop na kaligtasan at efficacy,” he noted.

(We are respecting the rights of each healthcare worker or anyone who refuse and pick the kind of vaccine he/she wants to use that has appropriate safety and efficacy.)

The country launched its mass vaccination against COVID-19 on Monday after China’s donation of 600,000 doses of CoronaVac arrived on Sunday afternoon. CoronVac was developed by Sinovac Biotech of China.

Among the first to legally receive the COVID-19 vaccines are Philippine General Hospital Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi and other hospital staff, and Food and Drug Administration chief Eric Domingo.

KGA