We join the chorus of voices from the population and urge the government to get more vaccines from the global market and then roll them out quickly, but efficiently, to acquire herd immunity against the ruthless coronavirus 2019.
We are aware the government has expressed interest to Washington to be among the beneficiaries of its COVID-19 vaccine donations, with Manila Task Force authorities in talks with key US government officials for the vaccine donation.
The Duterte government has also proposed to make COVID-19 vaccination a requirement for poor Filipinos before getting financial aid from the government, especially under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
This emerged after it was found that many Filipinos were hesitant to be inoculated with anti-COVID 19 vaccines —thus vaccination would be a prerequisite before getting aid from the government.
Such conditions, in the government’s logic, would at least encourage the people to be vaccinated.
For whatever reason, it is our responsibility as citizens to have the vaccine jabs to protect us and the others against this rampaging unseen health enemy.
Malacañang says many Filipinos, especially 4Ps beneficiaries, would benefit from the vaccination program because they would be protected from the virus and can avail themselves of cash aid without difficulty, although it has stressed the vaccination would still remain voluntary but would become a condition if they want to get cash aid.
But while we wait for results as regards the Washington donation, we highlight the urgency with which the government needs to look for additional markets from where it can buy more vaccines. And then, equally important, and implement the vaccine jabs swiftly to achieve herd immunity.
Herd immunity, supported by the World Health Organization, can mean indirect protection from COVID-19 that happens when a population is immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection.
Herd immunity against COVID-19 should be achieved by protecting people through vaccination, not by exposing them to the pathogen that causes the disease.
This May, the government aims to vaccinate about two million Filipinos, raising the previous monthly average of one million vaccinations per month.
Disturbing, if we go by simple arithmetic, the Philippines should aim to secure 148 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from several companies to inoculate an initial 50 to 70 million Filipinos this year.
