Sinovac , Oxford-AstraZeneca , Gamaleya ’ s Sputnik V , Pfizer- BioNTech , and Moderna . These are only a few among the

many vaccines developed and distributed to countries around the world to combat the spread of COVID-19 , with the first two being — as of writing — the main vaccines in the

Philippines ’ vaccination program . As information about the COVID-19 vaccines started becoming readily available to the

public even before the first vaccines arrived on Philippine shores , Filipinos began discussing them . These discussions soon turned to skepticism , and soon enough the skepticism

turned into widespread vaccine hesitancy . A vaccine hesitancy brought about by a recent and all-too-familiar memory in our

recent history : the Dengvaxia controversy .

On February 5 , 2018 , during a probe at

the House Of Representatives , mothers who took part in a mass vaccination program for their children confronted Dr .

Janette Garin , the Secretary of the Department of Health during the last year of the Aquino administration . The mothers claimed their children died after having been

inoculated with the Dengvaxia vaccine . This incident was etched in history as the Dengvaxia controversy , a memory

that still haunts Filipinos to this day . The fallout from this event spread vaccine hesitancy and doubt throughout the country , leading to Filipinos today treading lightly when it comes to getting inoculated .

Let us begin with China ’ s Sinovac , otherwise known as CoronaVac . The vaccine is currently

being manufactured by Sinovac Biotech Ltd . based in China . The main controversy with Sinovac is its variable efficacy rate ,

which ranges from just over 50 % in Brazil to almost 90 % in Turkey . Moreover , as of writing , a Chinese official recently admitted that the vaccines made in China did not offer as high

of a protection compared to other vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna .

Due to the conflicting data , Sinovac is the most discussed and controversial vaccine in this list , as

issues regarding transparency sparked suspicion among Filipinos who raised their concerns on social media . Not only

that , but there is also some hesitancy with regards to side effects .

The side effects of Sinovac include , but are not limited to dizziness and palpitations . There have been

rare cases of strokes ; however , the correlation between it and the vaccine is still being researched upon .

Next up is the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine , also known as simply the AstraZeneca vaccine . The

AstraZeneca vaccines comprise a major part of COVAX , an initiative led by the World Health Organization ( WHO ), that aims to provide innovative and equitable access to COVID-19

diagnostics , treatments , and vaccines . Based on recent latestage trials in the U . S . held on March 22 , 2021 , in the United

States , AstraZeneca has an efficacy rate of 79 % and has currently been distributed to over 70 countries .

With AstraZeneca , the only recorded side effect of concern so far is blood clotting ; however , it is an

extremely rare case mostly seen in recipients under 60 years old . Regardless , European countries such as the United Kingdom , the Netherlands , and Spain have either suspended

distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccine or imposed major precautions with those being vaccinated with it due to the

cases of blood clotting among recipients . This comes after the European Medicines Agency ( EMA ) concluded that there was a link between the blood clotting and the AstraZeneca vaccine , citing it as a “ very rare side effect .”

The last vaccine on this list is the Pfizer- BioNTech vaccine . The Pfizer vaccine boasts the highest efficacy with a rate of 92 %. However , those hesitant to

receive the Pfizer vaccine believe it could be considered riskier than the rest of the vaccines in this list , as it has a

number of side effects . Minor side effects include chills , tiredness , headaches , and sore arms , while more serious side effects include breathing difficulties , hives , and fainting .

There are multiple reasons why Filipinos are hesitant with the vaccines , but now is a time that demands empathy and understanding . We have to realize that our hesitations stem from the intent of taking care of our

community and that the pandemic goes a lot deeper than the boredom of isolation under quarantine .

That said , we must still acknowledge that the only way to carry on forward is to take the risk

and get inoculated once the vaccines are made available to us . That way , we can enjoy a safe , COVID-free

community , and finally , after more than a year ’ s length of community quarantine , we can carry on with our lives as they used to be .

VACCINES