MANILA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health on Friday urged Filipinos to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available, saying the vaccines are safe.

"Let me just assure you that the government will ensure that the vaccines that will come in the country will be safe and efficacious," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told an online briefing.

"We are encouraging the public to listen to the government. We will be very transparent in our processes," she added.

Vergeire made the remarks after an independent survey in the Philippines showed that almost half of the respondents said they are not inclined to get a COVID-19 vaccine due to safety concerns.

A national survey by Pulse Asia Inc. conducted from Nov. 23 to Dec. 2, showed only about a third or 32 percent of the 2,400 Filipinos aged 18 and above surveyed are willing to get inoculated.

"Almost half of the Filipino adults (47 percent) are not inclined to get the COVID-19 vaccine while the rest (21 percent) are ambivalent on the matter of being vaccinated or not," the survey said.

The survey cited safety as the leading reason why almost half of the Filipino adults are not willing to get vaccinated. Other reasons cited include the cost of the vaccine and whether or not vaccination is required to combat COVID-19.

Vergeire said the vaccines will pass through the regulatory process of the Philippines and other countries.

"We have strengthened our regulatory process wherein we have added additional layers for safeguards," she said, adding that the government has created expert panels that will ensure the safety and efficacy of the vaccines for Filipinos.

According to the survey, "nearly all Filipino adults" or 94 percent of the respondents are concerned about contracting COVID-19.

The Philippines has an uphill struggle to convince parents to vaccinate their children over the lingering fear of a dengue immunization program in 2017 with links to child deaths. Sanofi has insisted the vaccine used, Dengvaxia, was safe.

Manila is now negotiating with at least seven vaccine makers, including Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech, U.S. vaccine makers Novavax, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, and Russian medical research institute Gamaleya.

Carlito Galvez, the National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer, said the Philippines hopes to buy at least 148 million doses from these manufacturers.

Through a private sector, the Philippines has signed a deal with British-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca for 2.6 million doses of vaccines, of which half will be donated to the government.

The Philippines aims to vaccinate between 50 million to 70 million Filipinos this year, starting with health care workers, the elderly, and the poor. Enditem

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