Shopee and DOH team up to encourage Filipinos to get vaccinated

Shopee and the Department of Health (DOH) aim to raise awareness of the importance of COVID-19 vaccination through education. The leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan partners with DOH to promote education about COVID-19 vaccines. They also plan to do this through in-app and social media initiatives. Meanwhile, the Philippines aims to vaccinate 70% of its population within three to five years. With that said, the partnership also augments the concerted effort of the private sector and local government units. On the other hand, they could encourage Filipinos to get vaccinated and protect themselves and their loved ones against COVID-19.

Shopee and DOH team up to encourage Filipinos to get vaccinated

With the local government rolls out COVID-19 vaccination programs, the vaccine hesitancy rate among Filipinos continues to increase. Also, going from 47% in January 2021 to 61% by the end of the first quarter. Then, they remain resistant to the vaccine due to three key reasons. Of course, this includes concerns about potential side effects, uncertainty about efficacy, and skepticism.

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines also said,

“Shopee is honored to partner with the Department of Health to educate Filipinos. On the importance and benefits of vaccination. Through our collaboration with DOH, we can provide the community with accurate and science-backed vaccine information. With proper education, we aim to raise the public’s awareness and hopefully encourage more people to get vaccinated.”

Then, Beverly C. Ho, MD, MPH, Director IV, at Health Promotion Bureau DOH said,

“This partnership symbolizes what we, in the Health Promotion Bureau, want to do. Meet people where they reside and make living healthy easy. That’s why we feel thankful to use Shopee’s platform. One that effectively reaches and engages millions of Filipinos, to make RESBAKUNA reach a wider audience. The immense potential this partnership holds. Not only in increasing vaccine confidence. But, in improving overall health literacy among Filipinos, truly excites us.”

Starting this month until August, users can also learn more about vaccines’ safety and effectiveness from DOH and World Health Organization representatives. On June 23, 9:00 PM, users can also watch a discussion on Fake vs Fact on COVID-19 Vaccine Safety and Efficacy on Shopee Live. Then, the e-commerce platform will post helpful information about the vaccines on its official social media pages. A separate microsite will also become available on the Shopee app.