If health frontliners will get first jabs, pick vaccine that is "best body armor for those in the line of fire"

The first vaccines to arrive in the country must possess higher efficacy and effectivity rates as these will be given to medical frontliners, "and hence serve as body armor to those in the line of fire," Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said today.

"Regardless of the brand and the country of origin, let us work in bringing in one that will offer higher protection because that will, in turn, result in higher acceptance by the general public," Recto said.

"So that there will be a mass buy-in, let us have a good product launch," Recto said.

He said medical professionals who are first in the vaccination queue "will serve as product ambassadors and their feedback will be crucial in creating public acceptance."

"Pagdating sa bakuna, ang mga doktor at nurses natin ang mga social influencers. Sila ang pruweba ng husay ng bakuna. Where they go, the country will follow," he said.

Recto warned that if vaccines used in the maiden launch will receive a cold reception by the community that is supposed to endorse them, then it may lead to the slow roll out of the vaccination drive.

"People will not be reading scientific journals. They will not read the fine print. But they will trust their doctors. Sasabihin nila, 'kung ininject ni Doc sa sarili niya, kami pa kaya?' Product use is the most powerful tool of persuasion."