Senator Risa Hontiveros urged the Department of Health (DOH) and local government units (LGUs) to work closely with barangay health workers (BHWs) of indigent communities to create strategies to improve public confidence in vaccination. The statement comes after reports that 31% of Filipinos were unwilling to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Hontiveros said LGUs should begin mobilizing BHWs of COVID-19 vaccine prioritized communities to start surveying so that the DOH can tailor-fit education programs that could directly respond to the vaccine anxieties of people in the area. She added that the BHWs play “a crucial role in addressing vaccine misinformation and miscommunication”.
“Many people have become distrustful of vaccines, despite scientific evidence that it can save their lives. It is imperative that we educate people, not only through the media. We need to bring the positive conversation around vaccines to their immediate social circles, down to individual households. Our BHWs can be the starting point for that,” she said.
“Importanteng pakinggan ang takot ng mga tao para maayos nating matutugunan ang kanilang mga alinlangan. Kilala ng mga BHW ang mga komunidad nila, so we should work closely with them. An important part also of restoring confidence in vaccination is ensuring that all verified information is translated in the local tongue,” she said.
Hontiveros also urged the DOH, LGUs, and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to mount a ‘mega’ vaccine confidence project in 2021, to broadcast vaccine education programs suited to different regions.
“We should explore all media, from television, radio and hopefully even text mesaages. ‘Vaccine confidence’ should be our serious 2021 national public health project. Not just for the COVID-19 vaccine, but for all other vaccines, existing and future. It is one of the most important ways to secure the health of the public,” she added.
Hontiveros cited the measles and polio outbreak earlier in the year that had seen a resurgence despite existing vaccines. “Wag na sana ito maulit. These are harmful but preventable diseases that could have been controlled, and even eradicated, with vaccine confidence. It is our responsibility to the public to ensure all existing measures to keep them safe and healthy.”
“Trust and information is so important in a public health crisis. The best way to start the new year is to slowly earn the public’s trust again and to use that to pave the way to health for all,” Hontiveros concluded.
