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Repost: Palace Says People Cannot Choose Covid-19 Vaccine Brand

Image courtesy of www.mb.com.ph

Source: www.mb.com.ph

Take it or leave it.

The priority beneficiaries of the government’s free coronavirus vaccines can neither choose the brand of life-saving drugs they want to receive or be forced to get the vaccination, Malacañang said Monday.

As the government steps up its vaccine acquisition efforts, presidential spokesman Harry Roque explained that beneficiaries could either accept or decline the vaccine offered by the government. A waiver of right will be signed by the beneficiary if he or she declines the free vaccine, he added.

The issue on vaccine rights was recently discussed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

“Napag-usapan na ‘yan. Hindi pa covered ng IATF resolution pero parang mayroon ng consensus. Wala pong pilian, wala kasing pilitan (It has been discussed. It is not yet covered in an IATF resolution but there appears to be a consensus. They cannot choose which brand because they are not forced to be vaccinated),” Roque said during a televised press briefing when asked if Filipinos can choose the vaccines purchased by the government.

If a beneficiary refuses to take the free vaccine, Roque said the person must sign a waiver that will renounce his or her priority status for free vaccination. He admitted that people could not afford to be picky when it comes to vaccines since many others want to get inoculated against the virus.

“Pero magsa-sign ka ng waiver na hindi ka nagpaturok. At kapag ikaw ay merong prayoridad, siyempre mawawala ang prayoridad mo. Sasama ka doon sa the rest of taumbayan na nag-aantay ng bakuna (But you will sign a waiver that you will not be vaccinated. And once you decline, you will lose your priority status. You will join the rest of the people waiting for the vaccine),” he said.

“Tama lang naman po ‘yan. Walang pilian kasi hindi naman natin makokontrol talaga kung ano ang darating at libre po ito. Pero ganun po ‘yan there is such a thing as waiver of a right. Totoo po, meron tayong lahat karapatan para sa mabuting kalusugan pero hindi pupuwede na pihikan dahil napakadaming Pilipino na dapat turukan (It is only right. We cannot choose because we cannot control which vaccines will arrive first and besides, these are free. But there is such a thing as waiver of a right. It is true that we all have the right to good health but we cannot be picky because many Filipinos need to be vaccinated),” he added.

Under the government’s free vaccination plan, frontline health workers, indigent senior citizens and other seniors, indigent population, and uniformed personnel will be the first to get inoculated against the virus. The priority areas for the immunization drive are National Capital Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Region 11 (Davao region), and Region 4-A (Calabarzon).

Earlier, Roque announced the government has secured 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from China’s Sinovac that will be delivered this year. The initial shipment of 50,000 doses will arrive next month. The Palace official repeatedly assured the nation that the Chinese-made vaccines are proven safe and effective in clinical trials abroad.

Earlier, around 2.6 million coronavirus shots from British vaccine maker AstraZeneca have been finalized by the government. The country’s supply deal of 30 million doses of Covovax vaccines has also been signed and will be delivered starting third quarter of this year.