COVID-19 variants hamper drive for herd immunity

(REUTERS)

MANILA, Philippines — Herd immunity against COVID-19 is not achievable with the current vaccines available due to the emergence of several variants, an infectious disease expert said Monday.

Dr. Edsel Salvana said that the efficacy of vaccines against COVID-19 infection decreased when variants came into play.

“‘Yung herd immunity that people think about na hindi na mahahawa, hindi po ‘yun achievable with the current vaccines that we have dahil ‘yung mga bakuna natin, bagamat napaka-epektibo mag-prevent ng severe disease and death, ‘yung prevention niya ng infection, from 90 percent dati nung kauna-unahang virus, wala pang variants, naging mga 30 to 40 percent na lang ‘yung efficacy niya for preventing infection,” he explained in a Laging Handa public briefing.

(The herd immunity that people think about wherein they will not be infected, is not achievable with the current vaccines that we have because our vaccines, while it is effective in preventing severe disease and death, its potency dropped from 90 percent to 30 – 40percent due to the emergence of variants.)

Salvana added that the country cannot reach sterilized immunity even if everyone is  immunized against the coronavirus.

“Kahit i-vaccinate mo lahat ng tao, hindi ka makakaabot du’n sa tinatawag na sterilized immunity na kahit may isang case, hindi na siya makakakalat. Magkakaroon pa rin ng breakthrough,” he said.

(Even if you vaccinate all people, you will not reach what we call sterilized immunity wherein even if there is one case, it will not spread. There will still be a breakthrough.)

Despite this, Salvana noted the importance of vaccines against severe infections and fatalities.

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