INSTEAD of threatening those who refuse to get vaccinated, President Rodrigo Duterte was urged to amplify the government’s vaccine education campaign and pandemic response.

In a statement, Juan Health PH said that Duterte must “instill knowledge and not fear” to convince people to get inoculated against Covid19.

“Instead of releasing statements of empty threats, Duterte should call for the advancement of health education. A public health crisis needs the support of a progress-oriented leader and not that of a violence-driven one,” the group said.

It added that the President’s threats do not promote health nor social responsibility and said that blackmailing Filipinos will “never be an effective solution to defeat the pandemic.”

Citing prevalent misinformation and disinformation on social media, JH-PH stressed that people will only understand the relevance of Covid19 vaccines if they are well informed.

“Covid19 is, in itself, a huge threat to billions of lives all over the world, especially in the Philippines wherein millions of people struggle with poor pandemic response. The people do not need more threats to their lives when they are already facing a battle against potential health risks,” the group said.

On June 21, Duterte threatened those who refuse to get inoculated with arrest and said that those individuals must leave the country if they will not cooperate.

The President said that everyone is a potential virus carrier that is why it is important to get vaccinated to also protect other people.

Earlier surveys revealed that there are Filipinos not keen on receiving Covid19 vaccines due to concerns on safety, efficacy and cost.

Despite this, medical experts continue to encourage more people to get immunized to reduce severe cases, longer hospitalization and to achieve herd immunity.