#VaccinesWork: Are they really scary?

Filipinos always say this old adage, “Matakot ka sa buhay, ‘wag sa patay.” But, we should put a new take on this – “Matakot ka mamatay, ‘wag sa buhay at patay.” Why is it that people find needles scarier than ghosts? Are vaccinations really that terrifying? Filipinos’ fear of vaccines is another testament to how big of an effect trauma can make. Many people doubt if #VaccinesWork due to appalling reasons brought by the anti-vax community.

Yes, trauma is the reason why Filipinos are still scared of vaccines in 2021. Do #VaccinesWork ba talaga?

When #ManilaEncounters was still a trend on Twitter, I remember making an entry.

“At the UPM Museum, you glance at the displays, and a small boy follows you around.

You stopped in front of an old medical book, the pages brown and crinkled, showing the passage of time. He points to the book, contained in a glass case. “Look, there’s my name!”

You read the opened page, and it was an autopsy record of death due to cholera.

“You have vaccines now, don’t you?”

#ManilaEncounters #VaccinateYourKids”

I think it remains pretty relevant until today. We ask the question- why is everyone so hesitant to get vaccines? Of course, there is a logical reason for fear. But just because there is a reason for it doesn’t mean that reason justifies the cause.

Let’s go back in time, shall we? Remember the Dengvaxia incident? That case, whew. Some people who got the vaccine to lessen the risk of dengue fever actually had more severe symptoms after getting vaccinated. These resulted in multiple deaths around the country, leaving a traumatic scar on Filipinos.

And so began the movement of the anti-vaxxers. #VaccinesWork? How about #TheyDon’t?

“Vaccines cause side effects.” Well, that’s true, but it isn’t as severe as others would make it. Vaccines can trigger different responses in our body, but it doesn’t directly cause fatality.

Furthermore, getting a vaccine for COVID-19 actually lessens the fatality of the disease! 1 point for #VaccinesWork!

It won’t make you entirely immune to COVID-19 or its Delta variant, but it serves as additional protection! It will also make the symptoms less severe.

Another popular saying goes, “But they released a vaccine so fast without proper research!!!!!” Excuse me, Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) are waving at you! FDA-approved vaccines had gone through hundreds of tests and simulations already before you even heard of them!

Furthermore, since COVID-19 is similar to its cousins SARS and MERScov, we already have background information. It’s a virus that mutates from infecting animals to humans, so scientists already figured out the pattern.

Funding wasn’t a problem too, since eradicating COVID-19 is the current priority of all government and institutions- public and private! Have you guys also forgotten that we have way more advanced technology in this era than in the past? Hello, we have billionaires playing in space for fun, for goodness sake!

“Forcing me to get vaccinated tramples on my own rights.”

Okay? Fair point. No one should force you to do something you don’t want. #MyBodyMyChoice, right? But what if that choice not only affects yourself but also your family and the others around you?

If you insist on not getting a vaccine, you should also respect the rights of the people around you on not wanting to see your face anymore. Don’t go out, don’t go near people, and don’t touch your loved ones ever again.

You are not only putting yourself at a higher risk but also the ones who get close to you. As of the moment, more and more establishments require everyone to be vaccinated before entering public premises. Good luck on never going out again, SO HAPPY for you!

I understand that you want to uphold your “privilege,” but keeping that privilege comes with a responsibility to yourself and others.

It’s like I always say, your rights end at the start of others.

So what? What’s my proposed solution? The best thing to do is to always rely on research.

This is the problem with many Filipinos. We are illiterate when it comes to reading scientific journal articles and research papers. YOUR FACEBOOK FRIEND is not a reliable source of information unless they are a licensed medical practitioner; mmkay?

Get your facts right and look to Science, not gossip.

You’re diligent enough to read a long-ass post on your feed about how vaccines are scary, and they will make your child autistic yadda yadda. Try reading a research paper that’s based on ACTUAL experiments and literature reviews.

As someone whose course heavily relies on research too, RESEARCH is hard. It takes a lot of scrutiny and effort, and boy, there is little allowance for mistakes. Everything is accounted for and calculated- from your variables to your methodology. Ain’t nobody making this stuff up!!

The COVID-19 Delta is much more infectious than its original version. Rates have gone way higher again, which is why we’re back to normal: aka lockdown ulit!

Get yourself vaccinated now! Register at your cities’ COVID-19 vaccine website! Don’t let your fears make you ignorant- and DEAD. Sayang ang awra mamsh, don’t be the next Lady of Balete Drive!

Knowledge is power! #VaccinesWork!