AN OFFICIAL from the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force said that fake information continues to be the primary cause of the low turnout for anti-Covid-19 booster shots.
“Kalaban gyod nato is mga fake news (Fake news continues to be a threat), just like before. Nag slow atong vaccine roll out (Our vaccine rollout started slowly before) because of the fake news. The only way we can counter that is to continue educating the people,” Davao City Covid-19 Task Force Spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser said during a radio interview on Friday, January 28, 2022.
Schlosser said rumors that booster vaccination has caused deaths and the exaggerated description of side effects are not true.
“We will tell you the real data kasi the public deserves to know,” she said. “At this point, wala gyod namatay tungod sa bakuna or booster. Naa ta’y ginatawag na minor event but that is expected (and) dili siya permanente (We have not recorded anyone dying from getting the vaccine or booster shot. We have minor events but that is expected and not permanent).”
According to Schlosser, some side effects of getting the booster dose are minor adverse events such as fever, body pain, and pain on the inoculation site, while major adverse events are more common among individuals who have preexisting comorbidities.
“If we have a major adverse event, wala’y namatay (none of them died). All of them are okay at the moment,” she said.
Schlosser said the City Government is capable of providing vaccines and facilitating the rollout to the public, however, the challenge remains to be the behaviors of the people and how cooperative they are when it comes to receiving the vaccination.
She added that stronger education and information campaigns regarding vaccination are needed to counter the negative views surrounding it.
At present, all vaccination efforts in Davao City are open, including regular vaccination sites, mobile vaccination, house-to-house vaccination, drive-thru vaccination and the “Bakuna Nights.”