PRESIDENT Duterte has threatened to jail and use “pig vaccine” on people who refuse to be inoculated with Covid-19 vaccine, calling them a threat to others.
Duterte issued the statement late Monday as he expressed exasperation over reports of people who are still refusing to be inoculated despite the availability of vaccine supplies.
He noted these unvaccinated people could continue being carriers of the Covid-19.
“You are a potential carrier. To protect the people I have to sequester you. They will have to choose: get vaccinated or be detained in a cell,” Duterte said during his public address last Monday.
To note, health officials and medical experts have stressed that the existing available Covid-19 vaccine worldwide does not completely prevent transmission and infection, but only helps stop the severe health impacts of the illness. Thus, vaccinated people can still pick up the virus and transmit them, or fall ill, but with only mild symptoms.
Duterte, however, said that the unvaccinated are still a threat to public health and that he is willing to use the “strong arm” of the government to compel them to be inoculated.
He said he will be tapping barangay officials to identify those who are unvaccinated in their respective jurisdictions so they could face possible sanctions.
“Don’t force my hand . . . no one wants that,” Duterte said.
Aside from jail time, he threatened to use the anti-parasitic drug, Ivermectin, to threaten unvaccinated people.
“I will inject you with Ivermectin, which is meant to be used for pigs,” Duterte said.
Although allowed only as a prescription drug for humans, Ivermectin has in recent months gained popularity among people who believe in its prophylactic strength against Covid, taken either as capsules or tablets every two weeks. There are no injectables.
Currently, the Department of Science of Technology (DOST) is conducting a study to test the efficacy of Ivermectin for Covid-19 treatment upon the instruction of Duterte after some lawmakers and doctors insisted on using it for infected patients.
Image courtesy of AP/Bullit Marquez