Gov’t target: Vaccinate 80% of population to achieve COVID-19 herd immunity

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

MANILA, Philippines — The government is targeting to vaccinate 75 to 80 percent of the population to achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the country’s vaccine czar and chief implementer of the National Task Force against COVID-19 said Monday. 

“Our target is really at least 75 to 80 percent to see herd immunity and [so that] we can all contain the virus and prevent our people from getting the disease and that is our target. And our target is at least 25 to 30 million [Filipinos] a year,” Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.  

“The guidance of the President is we have to vaccinate all of the Filipino citizens but we know that the vaccination is more on voluntary and we have heard that only 66 percent of Filipinos are really ready to be vaccinated,”  added Galvez.

 Herd immunity is a concept in vaccination wherein a virus can no longer spread easily because enough people are immune to it.

Galvez said there is an “encouraging result” from the government’s negotiation with vaccine manufacturers to achieve the vaccination target.

He also said that the inoculation against COVID-19 will be made on a geographical and sectoral approach. 

“By geographical, we have to vaccinate people in those areas that are affected by the virus especially in NCR (National Capital Region), Davao, Cagayan De Oro and Cebu. These are areas, economic centers that have great impact in terms of containing the virus and at the same time making a full recovery of our economy,” he explained. 

Healthcare workers, Galvez pointed out, will be prioritized, followed by the poor and vulnerable sectors, essential workers, and frontliners including police officers and soldiers. 

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