MANILA, Philippines — It would be "counterproductive" not to announce the brands of COVID-19 vaccines available at inoculation sites, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Thursday as she warned that enforcing such a policy might erode people's trust in the national vaccination program. “We cannot increase the confidence of our countrymen when our policies are in doubt," Hontiveros said in Filipino. Hontiveros called on the Department of Health to reconsider the policy, saying that patients must be properly informed before they consent to inoculation. "We should be offering the public incentives such as grocery packs or paid vacation leave to encourage them to get vaccinated," Hontiveros said in Filipino. Since the Philippines launched its vaccination campaign on March 1, only over 786,000 people, 0.71% of the population, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Source: Philippine Star May 20, 2021 03:00 UTC