Galvez on Muslim vaccine hesitancy: Information drive is important

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Thursday said conducting information drive is important in some Muslim communities who are resisting COVID-19 vaccine due to their beliefs.

Galvez said he went to Sumisip, Basilan to encourage Muslim communities there to get inoculated against COVID-19.

“Ang importante po talaga yung tinatawag na information drive kasi karamihan nga po yung iba nga po parang magiging zombie pagnabakunahan sabi nga ng iba. So pero ang gusto kong paunawa sa ating mga Muslim brothers, actually kami ang nag-usap ni chief minister. Si chief minister nabakunahan na po ng booster yan, ng Pfizer kasama po yung kanyang asawa,” Galvez told Super Radyo dzBB.

(The information drive is really important because some believed that they would transform into zombies when they got vaccinated. I actually spoke to the chief minister. The chief minister has already been vaccinated with a Pfizer booster shot, along with his wife.)

“Pinaunawa ko po sa kanila maraming inyo ang nag-OFW hindi po kayo makakaalis hangga’t hindi vaccinated. Pangalawa, hindi kayo makapag Hajj kung hindi kayo vaccinated kasi yung mga countries na ano kailangan mayroon tayong vaccine certificate,” he added.

(I wanted them to understand that many of them are Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and they cannot leave until they are vaccinated. Second, they cannot perform Hajj if you are not vaccinated because other countries require travelers to present a vaccine certificate.)

The Hajj is a key pillar of Islam that is an annual pilgrimage made by Muslims to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Galvez issued his remarks after he was asked on the government’s solutions amid vaccine hesitancy of some Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) communities due to their culture and beliefs.

In January 2021, then-Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief Eric Domingo said COVID-19 vaccine makers are working on securing “Halal” certification for their products.

Bangsamoro Region leaders raised concerns on COVID-19 vaccines. The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos defines "Halal" in Arabic to mean "permissible" and refers to food and non-food products that are lawful for consumption.

Also, based on Shari’ah law, the concept covers other transactions including banking, finance and other activities Islam believers are engaged in.

During his weekly Talk to the People last month, President Rodrigo Duterte expressed concern that some communities in Mindanao are resisting the COVID-19 vaccine due to the belief that they are not allowed to receive vaccines due to their culture and religion. — RSJ, GMA News