endIndex: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 23) — The pointing of fingers as to which Cabinet official “dropped the ball” and bungled the closure of the deal for early purchase of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines is affecting the public’s confidence in vaccines and trust in the government's ability to respond to the pandemic, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III warned on Wednesday. The health chief, who is at the center of the controversy, said the importance of vaccine procurement carries the same weight as earning the public’s trust in the government's immunization program. The government is still in the process of winning the public’s participation in the government’s COVID-19 vaccination plans because of the fear caused by the controversy on anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia back in 2017.