Eastern Visayas aims to achieve herd immunity vs COVID before end of 2021

Syringe/Vaccine (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

TACLOBAN CITY — As the Department of Health (DOH) in Eastern Visayas aims to achieve herd immunity in the region before the end of the year, several local governments are devising schemes to reach this goal.

Dr. Exuperia Sabalberino, DOH regional director, said they need the cooperation and support of the local governments to achieve herd immunity which happens when 70 percent or a large part of the population of an area is immune to a specific disease.

“We are coordinating with our local government units to ramp up their vaccination campaign (as) we have enough supply of vaccines to achieve the 70 percent (needed to achieve herd immunity),” she said.

As of Monday, October 25, at least 889,000 of the targeted 3.52 million have received the vaccines which means more than 2.3 million people from Eastern Visayas have yet to be administered with the jabs.

The DOH has reported that none of the local governments in the region are yet to achieve the target.

Ormoc City in Leyte has so far achieved the highest percentage (63%) of its targeted first dose campaign involving 104,740 people followed by Tacloban City at 49% involving 91,719 of its residents.

Several towns in the region are offering incentives for those who will avail the vaccination.

In Caibiran, Biliran province, the municipal government will provide financial rewards to barangays that can achieve herd immunity.

In Naval town, also in Biliran, its municipal government will be allowing basketball games provided those who will play the games and even those watching are fully vaccinated.

In Arteche, Eastern Samar, those who will receive the shots will be given some grocery items and snacks.

In Dolores town, also in the same province, residents who live in isolated and remote villages are being provided with free transportation by the municipal government for them to be vaccinated at the town center.

In Southern Leyte, Gov. Damian Mercado has issued an order mandating that only fully vaccinated individuals could enter any local government office.

In Tacloban City, the city government has opened a new vaccination center at its public bus terminal to accommodate more persons on its vaccination drive.

The facility could accommodate at least 2,000 people a day.

Eastern Visayas, as of Tuesday, has 471 active cases of COVID-19.