OBJECTIVE: 100% VACCINATED STAFF

THE number of provincial employees that rejected vaccination was actually only about 600 or 10 percent of the more than 6,000 employees working at the capitol in Lingayen.

This was clarified by Provincial Information Officer Orpheus Velasco who said the 1,000 capitol workers mentioned by Dr. Anna de Guzman, provincial health officer, before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) last June 7 to have rejected vaccination included those who were still undecided whether they will take vaccination or not.

He said the capitol employees were each given a questionnaire, where they were asked if they are willing to be vaccinated with anti-COVID-19 vaccine and a big majority answered “yes”, only about 600 said “no” and about 400 were undecided.

Velasco, after consulting Dr. De Guzman and Janet de Asis, the Human Resources and Development Officer, corrected the figure and said an intensive information campaign at the provincial capitol is ongoing b to achieve 100 percent COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among the employees.

“As to my personnel at the PIO, I talked candidly with those who answered no and undecided and was able to persuade them to reconsider their position for their own good and for their loved ones and friends,” Velasco told the PUNCH. “This time, 100 percent of the PIO personnel are all for vaccination.”

“Other department heads did this in their own offices and have also succeeded, which means the number of capitol workers rejecting vaccination is now only few,” Velasco added.

De Asis cited a scenario to her staff: “If we are riding in a van and all of us inside were vaccinated and you are the only one who has not, what shall we do? It’s either we all get out of the car or you will step out for our own sake”.

Meanwhile, the vaccination of capitol personnel under the categories of A-2 (senior citizens) and A-3 (those with co-morbidities) was already completed last week.

Velasco said capitol employees are from various towns and cities and are supposed to take the vaccination in their own localities but Governor Amado Espino III directed that workers at the provincial capitol, provided they fall under Categories A-2 and A-3 should take their vaccination at the capitol.

Even the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has asked the Provincial Health Office to conduct more intensive information education and communications drive to persuade everyone to submit themselves to vaccination.

Velasco surmised that those rejecting vaccination or are still undecided were influenced by articles that advocated rejection of the vaccine. (Leonardo Micua)

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