COVID VACCINES: SAVING GRACE OR STUMBLING BLOCK?

It has been nearly a year since the lockdown commenced in the Philippines, and it seems like there is an end in sight soon. With the long-awaited arrival of the vaccines that have been developed around the world, things are looking brighter than ever.

The Philippines has been under the longest quarantine period in the world, having declared lockdown back in March 2020. Many Filipinos have been holding out and waiting for the vaccine to arrive, believing it to be the solution to all their problems, and yet there are still controversies surrounding the various vaccines which make a lot of Filipinos rethink.

The Duterte Administration has made deals to secure vaccines from various sources. It has procured 25 million doses of Sinovac, 30 million doses of Covovax, 17 million doses of AstraZeneca, 20 million doses of Moderna, and is in the process of making negotiations for a Pfizer vaccine deal. Such a variety of vaccines feels like a lifeline to many people, but suspicions have been cast on the effectiveness of these vaccines.

Sinovac is one of the vaccines that millions of people have their eyes on. Doubt has been cast on the Sinovac vaccine, which was reported by its developers to have a 78% efficacy rate. Data from research in Brazil, however, reported that the actual efficacy rate was closer to 50%. Political and economic controversies have covered the Sinovac issue, and many Filipinos are quick to doubt it.

The same can be said for the Pfizer vaccine, which is regarded by many to be preferable to Sinovac due to its reported higher efficacy rate. Those backing the Pfizer vaccine are also quick to disregard controversies surrounding it, such as the case of the 23 senior citizens in Norway who died after being given doses of the vaccine, justifying them by claiming that the deaths were unrelated to the vaccine they were given. Some, however, are not convinced, and decide to abstain from taking the vaccine.

As of now, it is too early to ascertain which allegations can be proven. Choosing which vaccine would be most beneficial is the topmost factor in deciding whether to get the vaccine or not, although it is still murky with the current available information. 

Undoubtedly, the issue of COVID vaccines lay not just in the field of health and medicine, but also in politics and economics. Conspiracy theories debunking this vaccine or that vaccine are not uncommon. Individuals must not blindly grasp at the vaccines and take them as lifelines out of the new normal, but instead thoroughly research the different pros and cons of each vaccine, whether it be its cost, effectiveness, side effects, among others, before they start jumping to conclusions. Only the revelation of strong and reliable evidence can put an end to these speculations and conflicts.