DOH cannot say yet immunity is substantial until regions have same vax rates

The Department of Health (DOH) cannot say yet if the country’s immunity to COVID-19 is substantial enough until all regions have the same vaccination rates, an official said Tuesday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stressed that the number of people vaccinated in each region is different.

“Hindi patas-patas ang nababakunahan. Dito sa National Capital Region, they were able to achieve already ‘yung 70% na target natin pero sa ibang regions po mababa pa rin,” Vergeire said in a radio interview.

(The vaccination numbers are not the same. Here in NCR, they were able to achieve the 70% target already but in other regions, vaccination is still low.)

“So hindi natin masasabi pa rin sa ngayon hangga't hindi pantay-pantay ang achievement ng mga region (So we cannot say yet until the regions have the same achievement), if it is substantial enough to protect our whole country or the whole population from the COVID-19 virus,” she added.

This was after an OCTA fellow said the Philippines may already be enjoying a substantial level of immunity as the country has been recording its lowest number of cases in 20 months while Filipinos have been allowed the highest mobility.

At present, Vergerie said around 38.1 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against the illness.

“Pero tandaan po natin na ang ating total population is about 110 million. Kapag tinanggal natin 'yung kabataan diyan 'yung 0 to 11 years old… meron ka parin 90 million na gusto mo targetin para substantial talaga 'yung mga nabakunahan dito sa ating bansa,” she said.

(Let us remember we have a total population of about 110 million. If you remove the 0 to 11 years old, you still have a 90 million target for vaccination for it to be considered substantial.)—AOL, GMA News