As the coronavirus pandemic turns to its 2nd year, the world has slowly started to revert back to its usual pace with the help of COVID-19 vaccines. However, the growing issue of vaccine hesitancy among people is still prevalent, barring opportunities to achieve herd immunity.
The lack of proper education and spread of disinformation towards the COVID-19 vaccines is the core reason why there are still Filipinos who fear its ‘adverse effects.’ Though the percentage of downright rejection towards getting vaccinated is rising, there are still individuals who have doubts about its development.
In order to lessen this problem, those who are aware of the facts should be at the forefront of educating the masses. College students such as ourselves should share the same responsibility in spreading the correct information that everybody deserves.
In VSU, we are taught to uphold academic excellence. As students of a research university that aims to be globally competitive on science, technology and environmental conservation, it is expected that we should always be on the search for truth.
Having fear is valid. It is not wrong to be hesitant because doubt is part of human nature. But what is wrong is succumbing to fear. Our university has always expressed great importance on research. A true Viscan would do research and seek verified answers from reliable sources. We should not rely on hoax nor unverified stories posted on social media platforms that invalidate vaccines. With truth being one of VSU’s core values, it is important for us Viscans to be aware of what is true among myths.
We should not waste our talents either. When we took the admission test, we all made choices that brought us to what we are now, an enrolled student of VSU. Remember that work is another core value of our university that encourages us to seek ways. As a Viscan, keep yourself informed on the vaccine’s progress. This act will add credibility to what has been published by researchers which will reflect on us as students of a research university.
Strive to be relevant! In VSU, relevance is another core value. When our university used research to help communities, our researchers determined the right problems to be addressed. The same goes for us in this pandemic. Being tagged as Viscans also means that we only look at relevant information that will help us cure ignorance. Sowing more doubts on uncertain people is very uncharacteristic for a real Viscan. Instead, help people learn and lead them using the right facts.
VSU has been recognized internationally for its significant contribution to knowledge, the last core value of VSU. Being knowledgeable during this pandemic is an advantage. When you are aware of the information that you need, it is more likely for you to exercise caution and become invulnerable to misinformation. Remember, knowledge is power!
Again, it is okay to be worried and concerned. This pandemic has struck us hard when we were most vulnerable. But now that science has brought us solutions, we must learn to open our doors in order for us to overcome this crisis. Others may not realize this, but as Viscans, we need to step up and contribute to our communities.
Let us turn ourselves into an intervention amidst the existing vaccine hesitancy. If you are a true Viscan, then you should #TrustTheScience.