MANILA – Vaccine hesitancy is the main reason behind the slow rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination program in Camarines Norte, its provincial health officer said.

Speaking on ANC’s “Rundown,” Dr. Arnel Francisco said that only a few doses were given to them when the nationwide jab program started in March.

But even with more vaccines coming in now, some people are still hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19, he said.

“Una po sa lahat, kami po dito sa province ay binigyan lang naman ng late na bakuna. So we started nung March nga po, pero kokonti lang po ang supply po naming dumating dito. So one or two months ago, doon lang po bumagsak ang karamihang supply dito sa aming province ‘no, at sa buong Bicol po,” he explained.

“Pero number 1 talaga dito yung hesitancy ng ating mga kababayan dito. Yung aming mahal na gobernador, umiikot na po, sa caravan niya po, everyday, siya mismo po ang nagsasabi na ako po ay nabakunahan, ang aking kapamilya po’y nabakunahan ng Sinovac, at fully vaccinated po siya. Ini-encourage niya po ang ating mga kababayan, but ang iba po, ayaw talaga magpabakuna.”

Brand preference is also hampering the rollout of the vaccine program, Francisco added.

“Yung mga kababayan kasi natin ngayon, mukhang namimili sila ng bakuna. So hindi naman pupuwede kung mamimili sila, sapagkat ang dumadating dito, dapat ibibigay natin sa kanila.”

Camarines Norte, he said, has so far vaccinated 164,382 or about 25 percent of its 440,581 estimated target population.

Francisco said he has spoken with the mayors in the province about the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) urging them to fast-track their vaccination program.

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“Yung sulat galing sa DILG naparating ko na rin sa kanila, na meron ngang reprimand. Meron pang sinasabi nating patawag in case na yung daily average ay hindi nila na-meet, at hindi sila nakapagbakuna, ang nakalagay po doon, ‘pag na-receive, 3 days after ng receive mo dapat nabakunahan mo na yung mga kababayan mo.”

He said he also spoke with them to encourage them to monitor the vaccination facilities in their respective rural health units (RHUs).

“Kahapon, ang president ng mayors league, kinausap ko po, up to late night kinausap ko siya na tulungan din kami para himukin ang mga kapwa mayors para i-monitor ang kanilang mga RHUs, ang kanilang pasilidad na nagbabakuna para ma-maintain natin at makuha po natin yung talagang average per day na babakunahan po natin,” he said.

Francisco added that Camarines Norte Governor Edgar Tallado himself now plans to go to the different barangays in the province to convince his constituents to get jabbed against the deadly disease.

“Ang ating mahal na gobernador nga Egay Tallado ay nagbigay ng isang idea nung dalawang araw na po ang nakakaraan, nandoon po ang pagmi-meeting namin ng DOH representative from the region na kami po ay pupunta na sa mga bara-barangay with the governor, para siya mismo ang mangunguna sa paghihimok at pagbabakuna ng ating mga kababayan dito sa CamNorte.”

“Pina-polish ko lang yung arrangement between the PNP, humihingi ako ng tulong sa mga PNP nurses para gawin nating vaccinator. Anyway, matagal na silang partners namin, and some of the RHUs staff.”

“Para tutok-bakuna kami ngayong buwan hanggang December para makapaghabol kami doon sa mga kakulangan ng CamNorte,” he said.

--ANC, 5 November 2021

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