Vaccinee has final say on what brand to accept

Written by Philippine News Agency

It will still be up to the recipient to decide what vaccine brand he wants to get.

Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the Inter-Agency Task Force has clarified that vaccinees will be informed of the brand to be administered before the inoculation.

"While the President has given a directive not to publicly announce what particular vaccine will be made available in a particular site, everyone will be properly informed at the site of the actual vaccine to be administered before the signing of the corresponding consent form," Guevarra told newsmen on Friday.

A vaccinee will not be compelled to take the jab if, upon medical advice, another brand is more suitable to the medical condition.

"If he/she declines to take the available vaccine, he/she will have to line up anew and take a chance again at some later time," Guevarra added.

The new policy was prompted by long queues in vaccination sites where a certain vaccine brand was made available while there is less demand for other equally efficacious vaccines.

"The latter stock might go to waste," he said. (Benjamin Pulta/PNA)