Acosta-led Dengvaxia 'publicity' contributed to COVID-19 vax hesitancy —Drilon

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Thursday said the Dengvaxia "publicity" led by Public Attorneys Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta has contributed to the hesitancy of the public to take COVID-19 shots.

In an ANC interview, Drilon noted that the Philippines has only a 54% vaccination rate, one of the lowest rates among countries.

He said that the government's credibility in leading the COVID-19 vaccination campaign is a “very critical factor” in encouraging people to get inoculated.

“Remember, we are just coming out of that Dengvaxia fiasco where vaccination was raised as an issue on the loss of lives [and] that is pending before the courts… but certainly that contributed to vaccine hesitancy and who led that campaign? Ms. Acosta,” Drilon said.

Although he acknowledged that Acosta was just doing her job, Drilon said “the publicity it generated” also mattered in the vaccination efforts of the government.

“I can probably support her if she asserts that ‘I was doing my job.’ Fine. But the way it was conducted, the publicity that it generated, it cannot be denied as having contributed to the vaccine hesitancy which up to now we noted that the vaccine hesitancy is a major factor in our very low vaccination rate if we have enough supplies as the government claims,” Drilon said.

He agreed that Acosta being vocal on her non-vaccination also contributes to the public hesitancy in getting the COVID-19 shots.

“Because she’s a government official. If she cannot defend the policies of this administration, she should leave her post,” he said.

“I am not even asking for that, I am just saying protect your fellow workers in the PAO, do not physically report for work. If you don’t want to be vaccinated, then as a practice in some jurisdictions, have, at your own expense, daily test before you come in so that you are negative so you can protect your fellow workers,” Drilon added.

Drilon also said he was informed that Acosta does not allow the use of teleconferencing in her office to accomplish their tasks.

In a "24 Oras" report by Raffy Tima, Acosta questioned Drilon's statements against her, citing the law that does not  consider vaccination as mandatory in educational, employment, and other similar government transaction purposes.

"Bakit ako ang pine-personal ni Senator Drilon? Eh 'yung Republic Act 11525 ang kaniyang atakihin, gawa ng Kongreso ito, kasama siya," the PAO official said.

"Nilagay dito, ano pa lang ito eh, experimental. Tapos walang mandatory vaccination, word-for-word 'yan. 'Yung vaccine card, hindi mandatory sa trabaho, sa school at sa government transaction," she added.

(Why is Senator Drilon going after me personally? He should attack Republic Act 11525. It was created by the Congress he is part of. It says that the vaccine is experimental and that there is no mandatory vaccination, word for word. The vaccine card is not mandatory for work, school, and government transactions.)

On Wednesday, Drilon called on Malacañang and the Department of Justice to bar Acosta from reporting to work after she admitted that she has yet to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

In a television interview on Wednesday, Acosta said she is waiting for a protein-based vaccine as prescribed by her physician. She also denied being an “anti-vaxxer.”

However, she maintained her opposition to the government’s “no vaccination, no ride policy” as she previously asserted that it is unconstitutional and discriminatory.

She cited Republic Act 11525 which states that vaccine cards “shall not be considered an additional mandatory requirement for educational, employment, and other similar government transaction purposes.”

Under the new policy, only fully vaccinated individuals in Metro Manila may board public utility vehicles when the region is under Alert Level 3 or higher. Metro Manila is under Alert Level 3 under the end of January. — with Consuelo Marquez/KBK/BM, GMA News