T3 taps private sector help to curb vax hesitancy

MANILA – The government will not get tired of assuring Filipinos that the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine is safe and effective.

It also created Task Force T3 (Test, Trace and Treat) to partner with the private sector in addressing vaccine hesitancy.

“Tumutulong din kami sa private sector na ipaalam sa mga tao na ang mga medical experts, ang sinasabi, dumaan ang mga vaccine sa clinical trials. Libo-libong tao ang tinest. Ito ay safe (We also helping the private sector educate people that medical experts confirmed the vaccine is safe and has undergone clinical trials involving thousands. Vaccines are safe),” Margot Torres, T3 communication head, said at the Laging Handa press briefing on Thursday.

Torres said Task Force T3, a multi-sectoral public-private consortium of companies and organizations, has partnered with 200 businesses to offer discounts and exclusive freebies to those who have received their Covid-19 vaccine shots under the “Smart Bakuna benefits” program.

Based on the task force’s recent survey, Torres said dine-in traffic in participating restaurants increased up to 90 percent since the initiative was launched.

Task Force T3 also helps identify the most urgent requirements for polymerase chain reaction machines, testing kits, and fixed and mobile laboratories, and install these in priority hotspots as soon as possible.

The National Task Force Against Covid-19 and the Department of Health, with support from the Asian Development Bank, convened T3 in April last year.

Torres said the task force is also looking at other countries’ best practices to address vaccine hesitancy.

“Get vaccinated because vaccines really give you the added protection you need,” she said.