To the Editor,I read with interest the recent article published in this journal where the authors’ purpose is to examine the willingness of primary care professionals (PCPs) to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents. This purpose was set with the background that despite the availability of vaccines for adolescents in the United States, many parents are hesitant to have their children vaccinated. For the method, a national sample of 1,047 US adolescent primary care professionals participated in an online survey in early 2021, after a COVID-19 vaccine had been approved for adults but before approval for adolescents. The respondents included physicians (71%), advanced practice providers (17%), and nurses (12%). The authors identified correlates of willingness to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents using logistic regression. The findings revealed that most (89%) respondents were willing to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents, with advanced practice providers and nurses less likely than pediatricians to recommend vaccination. The authors concluded that the advice of primary care professionals strongly influences vaccine uptake.[1] This scenario is similar in the Philippines, where some vaccinees are hesitant to get inoculated, including securing the approval of their parents. The recommendation of PCPs is vital to encourage vaccination, and most Filipinos look up to them since they are considered experts in the field. Thus, I aim to emphasize the necessity of a well-informed dissemination campaign for every Filipino family to help build higher confidence in the vaccine. Through the collaborative effort of the PCPs, government, and educational institutions, the aim of achieving herd immunity may be within reach.Data presented by the Philippine health authorities showed that as of 2022 August 1, there have been 3,780,178 COVID-19 cases in the country. For adolescents, 110,091 (2.9%) of these cases belong to the 10–14 age group, while 160,347 (4.3%) are for ages 15–19.[2] Concerning adolescent vaccination, 18,666 minors with comorbidities received their first dose of vaccine during the initial phase of the pediatric vaccination in the National Capital Region (NCR) last 2021 October 26. Only after 8 months did the vaccination program for 12–17 years old start for Phase 1. Over 20 hospitals and vaccination sites conducted simultaneous inoculation for the younger set during Phase 2. These vaccination sites are highly accessible since they are the major hospitals in the cities and can be availed for free by anybody. The government is on a massive vaccination drive to achieve population protection as soon as possible.[3] The rollout for vaccinating the adolescent population was initially for those with comorbidities. Still, it was expanded to include all adolescents (with or without comorbidities) on 2021 November 2. Comirnaty and Spikevax are the only vaccines with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the adolescent population. The latest data show that 6.2 million (58%) adolescents of the 10.7 million target population have been fully vaccinated. There are still around 42% who are hesitant to get vaccinated. In a national survey experiment, the conclusion validated that vaccine hesitancy is high in the Philippines. Several factors related to information are among the reasons for hesitancy, such as lack of information about vaccines, misinformation about their efficacy or side effects, mistrust, and underestimation of benefits compared with overestimation of risks and costs of vaccination, are among the potential reasons.[4] This is reiterated by National Task Force (NTF) policy chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. when he said that “while the government understands that some parents would be circumspect about having their kids vaccinated, the public is assured that the COVID-19 vaccines are very safe and effective, citing the success of western nations in vaccinating their adolescent population.”[5]“Vaccine confidence” is the trust that people have in recommended vaccines. Right now, families in every community may be wading through much information and misinformation to decide about COVID-19 vaccinations.[6] One of the primary reasons for this hesitancy is the vaccine’s side effects. As of 2022 April 24, there were 3,591 reports received from VigiFlow, the national database of adverse reactions in the country—276 words were deemed as serious, while 3,313 pieces were nonserious, and the seriousness was not reported or unknown in the remaining 2 reports. The most commonly reported reactions are dizziness, vaccination/injection site pain, pyrexia, headache, and increased blood pressure.[7] Fortunately, booster shots were also administered in Manila last 2022 July 6, for the age group who are not immunocompromised in 48 vaccination sites, while the immunocompromised minors are advised to have their booster shots in the city’s 6 major sites.[8] Again, these sites are very accessible since they are major hospitals and shopping malls located in the city proper.With this problem of vaccine hesitancy, the collaborative effort of the PCPs, government, and educational institutions is needed. They must genuinely work hand in hand to make a variety of approaches for a massive vaccination program. PCPs from both private and public sectors must continue to recommend with urgency and more convincingly the necessity of vaccines to every Filipino family. They must explain well that COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents is first and foremost essential not only for their health but also for public health in general. In short, it is a citizen’s show of solidarity and social responsibility. The issue of side effects is one of the significant reasons for the hesitancy. The PCPs must repeatedly clarify that, like any other vaccine, COVID-19 vaccines may cause adverse reactions in some people, while others may not experience any adverse reaction. Reported adverse reactions do not necessarily mean that the vaccine caused the reactions. Undiagnosed illness, underlying comorbidities, and pre-existing medical conditions unrelated to vaccination can also be factors in reporting adverse reactions.[3] Most of all, the principle of the “vaccine’s benefits outweighing the risks” should be highlighted.The government’s role, in turn, is a must to address the issue. Because of their role in keeping schools open and ending the pandemic, vaccines can address both problems—but only if they are widely administered.[9] A comprehensive vaccination program can be done by employing various approaches or strategies to convince the public. This is now the role of the government’s reliable monitoring system and official digital platforms (ODP), which aim to provide transparent and comprehensive information regarding the vaccine. Regardless of the source of vaccine hesitancy, interventions to encourage vaccination by simplifying messages and emphasizing benefits found in the ODP can be effective. This is in line with a recommendation from behavioral science to promote behavioral changes by reducing people’s cognitive burdens and biases.[10] Another creative approach is giving cash incentives, groceries, or sacks of rice to every family who will allow their children to get vaccinated. This can be effective since many Filipinos live below the poverty line, especially during the pandemic. Filipinos in poverty have risen to over 26 million, just under 25% of the total population.[11] Naturally, any financial help will be grabbed by hungry families. It may be a temporary intervention but still practical and effective.Since Christianity heavily influences the Philippines, many Catholic colleges and universities have established social work and mission offices for educational institutions. These offices can handle the task of campaigning and disseminating information to motivate people and get vaccinated. These are usually connected to various partner communities through the students’ regular social engagements or community service programs. They can create strategic plans to encourage locals to vaccinate, such as free online lectures/training and webinars, and even provide incentives for the marginalized ones like scholarships and livelihood programs that benefit them.[12] Some examples of this are the free webinar entitled ‘Hesitancy versus Necessity: Understanding the Ethical Considerations of COVID-19 Vaccination’ by De La Salle University last 2021 May 15, and a free lecture entitled “Solidarity, Equity and the Global Challenge for Universal Access to Vaccination” by University of Santo Tomas last 2021 October 8. In addition, since many schools are still not holding in-person classes, especially in far-flung provinces, these “vacant” settings can be used as vaccination sites, so that vaccinees who are far from the health centers and hospitals do not have to travel a long way which is also a factor for not getting inoculated. The Bajada campus gym of the University of the Immaculate Conception (UIC) in Davao served as a vaccination center. Lastly, teachers in different levels and subjects can incorporate brief discussions in their lessons about the necessity of the COVID-19 vaccination. As mentioned above, it is everyone’s social responsibility to fulfill for the sake of public health.Ultimately, all these efforts will remain useless if the public will not have an open mind and cooperate with these efforts. Public trust not only in the vaccines but also in the PCPs, government, and educational institutions is much expected. Herd immunity may still be far from reach, especially now that the country’s COVID-19 cases are increasing again due to the emergence of different variants. Nevertheless, a massive and well-informed vaccination program can help achieve the goal.