A slow but sure road to herd immunity

“The pace of the implementation of the vaccination program depends directly on the availability of vaccines from the manufacturers.”

It simply makes no sense for some quarters, particularly the opposition, to criticize what they describe as “slow” rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in the country.

We all know the supply of vaccines from different manufacturers in different countries came in trickles over the past months but more are due to arrive in the coming weeks.

Clearly, the pace of the implementation of the vaccination program depends directly on the availability of vaccine supplies the manufacturers committed to be delivered to us from abroad.

There is no sense complaining about the Philippines having lagged in vaccinating its people compared to the affluent and influential nations, especially those where vaccines are produced in the first place.

The Duterte administration has, in fact, repeatedly called on other world leaders, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO), to ensure the availability of COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries.

I believe the government has so far efficiently and effectively dispensed with the vaccine supplies we have received so far under the able leadership of national task force vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez.

We have systematically distributed and administered what little supply we have through the gallant efforts of the local government units at vaccination sites all over the archipelago.

The Inter-Agency Task Force targets to inoculate at least 50 percent of the 110 million Filipinos to attain herd immunity to stop the continued spread of  COVID-19.

We share the optimism of Sec. Galvez for the country to attain herd immunity by yearend.

Ironically, the government has to mount an information campaign to encourage Filipinos to avail themselves of the immunization program according to their priority eligibility.

A Social Weather Stations survey showed that just 33 percent of adult Filipinos are willing to get vaccinated, an offshoot of the Dengvaxia debacle in the previous administration.

Conversely, the Department of Health has to enforce a “brand-agnostic” policy in the wake of overcrowding at several vaccination centers where people sought their preferred brand of vaccine.

It does not help at all that President Duterte’s critics continue to spread black propaganda to discredit and derail the government vaccination efforts altogether.  I am sure that is not the intent of opposition.

We are not racing against rich countries in vaccinating our people.

We are just, as one nation, slowly but surely rising above the catastrophe of the worst pandemic in history.