FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN.
As the DOH rolled out the COVID-19 vaccination drive dubbed as "RESBAKUNA - kasangga ng BIDA", there were so many apprehensions despite more than a year waiting for the vaccine. People have a tendency to fear the unknown so that it was difficult to gather support for the VSMMC COVID19 Vaccination Team. There was also vaccine hesitancy due to the traumatic experience with Dengvaxia a few years back. Our national vaccination program had not yet completely recovered from that experience, so that it became a challenge to roll out a novel vaccine against this novel virus called COVID-19.
Many healthcare workers themselves questioned the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. Many healthcare workers had preferred brands of the vaccines, stereotyped against the "generic" versus well known brands of vaccine companies, whose vaccine supply were simply beyond our reach.
DO NOT LET FEAR PARALYZE YOU.
Luckily, we still had brave public servants from among our ranks who volunteered to serve in the vaccination campaign for VSMMC frontline workers. The eyes of the nation were on us as we were counted among the first in the country to receive the donated COVID19 vaccines. It became doubly difficult when we had to deal with supply and cold chain management, risk communication challenges, new information technologies for masterlisting, vaccination trainings and management of adverse effects following immunization. The trainings were so intense as we had to rapidly absorb new knowledge like a sponge to educate target healthcare workers on the risks and benefits of getting vaccinated against COVID19 regardless of the vaccine brand depending on what was available.
MOURNING INTO DANCING.
As we overcame each barrier in our journey to vaccination, the logistic problems began solving itself one by one. Plans were laid out and approved by central and regional office and coordination with PNP, FDA, members of the media, and other stakeholders were ensured. We also had to deal with plans of organizing ceremonial vaccination with VIPs from Central Office to show their support to the vaccination campaign. While their support is much appreciated, their physical presence added to the pressure and diplomatic work.
However, as the first wave of vaccinees, aptly nicknamed as "influencers" flocked to get vaccinated, the mood in the vaccination area was super charged with an air of hopeful joy, such that the most common AEFI was Tiktok dancing (even with our Medical Center Chief Dr Aquino) and posting on social media of selfies with colorful bandaids on their deltoid, also known as the RESBAKUNA pose.
THE FIGHT GOES ON.
Vaccination provides us an additional layer of protection against the unseen enemy called COVID-19. Giveaways during the vaccination campaign were boxes of faceshields and face masks with the loving reminder to continue wearing face masks and face shields, observing physical distancing and practicing frequent hand hygiene - minimum health protocols to prevent transmission of COVID-19 to our loved ones. We continue to be warriors in this fight against COVID19. May we keep in mind that vaccination is a personal choice. We should not condemn those who decide to get vaccinated, but we also should not ridicule those who decided to wait. All in all, we need to remember that to beat COVID-19, we should treat each other with love, by not allowing yourself to get infected and not infecting others as well.
Ampo and amping!
#BeatCOVID19
#WeHealAsOne
#SOTTOVax #RESBAKUNA
