Metro Manila mayors to tackle ‘brand agnostic’ COVID vaccination policy

COVID-19 vaccination at the Makati Coliseum. Image from Facebook / MyMakati

MANILA, Philippines — The issue of the “brand agnostic” vaccination policy will be tackled by the Metro Manila Council, MMC chairperson and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said Friday.

Metro Manila mayors have different views and opinions regarding the “brand agnostic” vaccination which prohibits local government units (LGUs) from announcing in advance the brand of COVID-19 vaccine to be administered to the people.

Instead, the brand of vaccines will only be disclosed to vaccinees on-site before inoculation.

“Yan ay isa sa aming pag-uusapan pag nag-convene kami ng MMC,” Olivarez said in an interview on ABs-CBN’s  Teleradyo.

“Pero alam naman natin itong ating vaccine na ito, lahat ito ay dumaan sa masusing pag-aaral pati clinical testing. Ito ay dumaan sa [Food and Drug Administration] at binigyan ng [emergency use authorization]. Ibig sabihin, lahat ng vaccine na inaprubahan ay safe at may efficacy yan para makaprotekta dito sa ating pandemic na ito,” he added.

In Parañaque City, Olivarez said more people signed or showed up for a more preferred vaccine brand.

“‘Yan yung ating pinag-iingatan kasi baka maging superspreader pa yung ating mga vaccination center imbes na makatulong kung hindi natin lilimitahan ‘yung mga taong pumupunta sa vaccination,” Olivarez said.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government earlier said LGUs will no longer announce in advance the brand of vaccine to be administered.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said that while LGUs will not be allowed to announce the vaccine brand, an individual can still choose not to get inoculated once informed of the vaccine brand on-site.

gsg