NEWS | PH Vaccination Program takes multiple jabs

By Mai Allauigan and Alexandra Kate Ramirez

The Philippines so far reached a total of 2,580,173 COVID-19 cases as of Saturday, October 2. Among this figure, 3,366 are Delta variant cases, 633 of which were recorded on September 29 alone. Correspondingly, government officials raised the country’s target herd immunity rate to 90% of the population, yet the public’s demands of mass testing and effective contact tracing remain elusive after more than a year of battling the pandemic.

Setting new targets

The Philippines raised its target COVID-19 vaccination coverage to 90% of the population, from just 70%, due to the presence of highly-transmissible variants that ramped up herd immunity thresholds for the disease.

Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr on Thursday, Sept. 9, told the House of Representatives that the higher target of 90% for herd immunity would only be attained in 2022, at the earliest. Still, pandemic officials aim to vaccinate 70% of the country’s population by the end of this year.

As of Monday, Sept. 27, around 20.58 million people or 26.68% of the country’s eligible population have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 23.78M have received their first dose, according to the Department of Health (DOH). Meanwhile, the COVID-19 positivity rate remains above 20% in the past weeks, which is way above the 5% threshold advised by the World Health Organization (WHO).

While the country heavily relies on vaccination to get past the pandemic, it is still expected to be among the last countries in Southeast Asia to reach its target herd immunity.

Beset by delays

Even with nearly 14 million total vaccine doses donated this September alone, vaccine supply is still undeniably scarce and rollout is hampered by multiple delays.

The Philippines currently ranks 7th out of all 10 Southeast Asian countries in terms of all vaccine doses administered per 100 people. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) forecast also shows that the country will only be able to vaccinate the bulk of its population by 2023 onwards.

Obstacles like disproportionate distribution brought about by global vaccine inequity and logistical challenges, both the national and local level, contribute to this delay. While vaccine hesitancy is also a cause of legitimate concern, Dr. Renzo Guinto of St. Luke’s College of Medicine asserts that sluggish procurement and rollout are the more pressing and major factors.

Despite government officials upping the target threshold for herd immunity, this goal is still practically far from reach. While setting a clear target is important, health experts are worried that speed and scale will be prioritized over vaccinating high-risk groups like the elderly (A2) and people with comorbidities (A3).

Provinces still also struggle with low vaccination rates and high positivity rates, while NCR is getting the lion’s share of doses.

Meanwhile, Duterte is still insistent that the country is “doing well” and is just waiting for the remaining 61M doses to arrive this October.

Progress among sectors

Following the approval of the pilot run of face-to-face classes in areas deemed low-risk for COVID-19, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Sept 27 announced that all teaching and non-teaching personnel who will participate in the limited resumption of face-to-face classes should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

DepEd earlier announced on Monday, Sept 20, that vaccinations are not mandatory among teachers joining the limited in-person classes, which raised appeals from lawmakers and the public alike to make it a requirement so as to ensure the safety of the student body and school personnel. On the other hand, the DOH also said that mandatory testing for teachers is still not being considered.

Vaccination for minors aged 12 to 17, meanwhile, is eyed by the government by the middle of October, according to Galvez. The Food and Drug Association (FDA) granted Pfizer and Moderna’s emergency use authorization (EUA) for minors aged 12 to 17 in June and September, respectively.

WIth regard to transportation, the transport sector will be receiving the excess AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines as donation from the private sector, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Jose Maria “Joey” Concepcion III said on Friday, Sept 17. The transport sector has also been one of the hardest hit groups since the start of the pandemic due to travel restrictions and limited mobility.

Furthermore, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat reported that more than half of the country’s tourism workers population have been vaccinated against COVID-19. As of Sept 10, data shared by the DOT revealed that a total of 126,097 tourism workers from the A1 and A4 priority groups have been fully-vaccinated, which translates to 51.40% of the target 245,338 tourism workers population.

Tourism workers belonging to A1 priority groups are the ones who work in establishments that temporarily operate as quarantine or isolation facilities. Those classified under the A4 priority group, meanwhile, are part of other tourism enterprises and support services.

Onto bolder moves

A recent COVID-19 Resilience Ranking Report by Bloomberg bared that the Philippines is the ‘worst place to be’ amid the pandemic. Apart from vaccine inequity, the onslaught of the Delta wave, lackluster testing and contact tracing, and various strict lockdown restrictions hamper the country’s ability to contain the virus.

Even after a year has passed, Bloomberg stated that testing rates only showed a one-in-four or 27% positive result, indicating the likelihood of more undetected infection in the country.

While Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque presses that vaccines are the key to defeating COVID-19, many experts insist that it is not the be-all end-all solution. They underlined the need for proper ventilation, subsidized testing, and an integrated contact tracing system as efficient drivers of the response. Coherent communication and timely data also serve as a solid foundation for the aforementioned.

Moreover, Bloomberg also emphasized the need for improved health workers’ pay, funding for health science research, as well as economic stimulus and relief for the most affected sectors.

Beyond these suggested reforms, Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares asserted the need to lobby for a better public healthcare system to address the pandemic and better prepare for future health emergencies.

“Our failed pandemic response is not just about the lack of mass testing or low vaccination capacity. It’s a result of a disjointed public health service and decades of underfunding. We need a new, integrated, comprehensive and free public health system,” Colmenares said in a tweet.