Focus on priority sector COVID-19 vaccinations vs population percentage –DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday argued that it would be better to focus on what percentage of priority sectors have been vaccinated against COVID-19 amid calls for it to report vaccinations as a percentage of the population.

In an online briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccination program might take a hit if authorities report what percentage of the 110-million population has been vaccinated.

“Talagang ‘pag tiningnan natin, maliit ‘yan. Mawawalan ng kumpiyansa ang ating mga kababayan eh alam naman po natin na hindi naman natin tina-target sa ngayon ang buong populasyon kung hindi ‘yung mga vulnerable population muna natin,” she said.

(If we look at that figure, it’s really small. The public will lose confidence but we know that we are not yet targeting the entire population but only the vulnerable sectors.)

“Kailangan ang ibigay natin focus ay ilan sa porsyento no’ng mga ating mga vulnerable sector ang ating nabakunahan… So baka ‘yun ang mas magandang maipakita kesa ‘yung kabuuan ng populasyon,” Vergeire added.

(We should focus on what percentage of our vulnerable sector has been vaccinated… Maybe that’s better than showing the figures for the entire population.)

The Philippines vaccinated 1,353,107 million individuals against COVID-19 as of April 20.

This accounts for only around 1% of the entire Philippine population and 2% of the government’s target of 70 million vaccinations

A total of 989,703 out of 1.8 million health workers, 132,948 out of 9 million senior citizens, and 180,315 out of 14.5 million persons with comorbidities have been inoculated.

Dr. Tony Leachon, a former government adviser, was among those who urged authorities to report what percentage of the population had been vaccinated instead of the total number of doses administered.

This was after the National Task Force Against COVID-19 came under fire on social media for a graphic showing that the Philippines ranks fourth in Southeast Asia in terms of doses administered.

Leachon said the presentation was “not right.”

“Lalabas siyempre number four tayo. Pero below the Philippines in [that] chart, kakaunti naman ang population ng ibang countries doon,” he explained.

(Of course, we would rank fourth. But the other countries below the Philippines in that chart have a smaller population.)

The Philippines recorded 971,049 COVID-19 cases with 846,691 recoveries and 16,370 deaths as of Thursday afternoon.  — DVM, GMA News