Vaccine hesitancy, preference still slowing down PH inoculation rollout – DOH

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 9) — Despite the increasing supply of COVID-19 vaccines in the country, misinformation about their effectiveness continues to bog down the immunization drive in many localities, the Department of Health said on Tuesday.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire enumerated the main factors that raise the need to intensify information drive and mass vaccination in the country.

"Not all of these millions of doses are in our storage," she said when asked about the unutilized COVID-19 vaccines.

"It has been distributed to the LGUs already. What we find challenging right now would be still there is hesitancy among the public, among the different sectors, because of first, misinformation. They fear that these vaccines will not give them that effectiveness that they are expecting," she added.

Vergeire also pointed out that due to certain preference of some Filipinos, they tend to wait for what they perceive as better brands despite the government's reminder that all vaccines provide protection against severe COVID-19 and deaths.

"Third will be culture, religion, and of course their beliefs," she added.

Vergeire also said the government will hold a three-day mass vaccination drive by end of November to reach its target of inoculating at least 50 million of the priority population by year end.

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As of Nov. 8, over 29 million Filipinos are vaccinated against COVID-19.