To doubt is to sustain

The Philippines’ vaccination program against COVID-19 has officially started this week with the rollout of the vaccines donated by China.  Based on the plan, the health care workers in COVID-designated hospitals are the first to receive the jabs. The arrival of Pfizer and AstraZeneca’s vaccines which are preferred for health care workers, was delayed due to reported hitches in paper works, thus, making Sinovac given by the Chinese government the first available vaccine for emergency use.

Reports say that the health care workers who are willing to be inoculated with Sinovac were initially dismal. There was a need for hospitals and government bigwigs to take the jab first to boost confidence among their peers. 

While it is true that there are doubts on the safety and efficacy of the available vaccines especially the one from China reported to have an efficacy of 50.4% only, it is important to remember that the success or failure in the fight against COVID-19 is not measured based on how you have secured or protected yourself and your family from the risk of infection.  The risk can never be mitigated without our collective effort as community members and as responsible citizens.

True, the current administration’s vaccination program is hounded by issues of inefficiencies, corruption, and perceived bias.  But the decision to take the jab should not be based on politics.  It should be based on science and on the expert opinions of health professionals.

“The best vaccine is the one in your arm,” says Dr. Lulu Bravo, executive director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination.  Dave O’Connor, Ph.D., a University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, also said that if your house is on fire, don’t wait until you have the perfect hose. People should get vaccinated with whatever effective vaccine they have access to because this will help protect themselves and their communities by impacting the global viral load.

These are words that come from men and women who may not have concealed motives.  As we continue to face the risk of a mutating virus, our actions should be motivated by altruistic considerations of contributing to the common good. A neuroscience expert notes that our survival and wellness require a balance between optimism and pessimism. Undue pessimism makes life miserable; however, excessive optimism can lead to dangerously risky behaviors.

To doubt every move of our government as tainted with politics and corrupt motives does not help in this time of the pandemic. At the same time, apathy coupled with recklessness is a perfect recipe for a disaster that will lead us to endless miseries.