PH can achieve herd immunity vs COVID-19 in 2021 if vax supply is enough — Duque

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines could achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 2021 should there be enough global supply of the vaccines, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told a Senate hearing on Monday.

“Kung kakayanin ng mga manufacturer…best case scenario ay makakamit natin ang herd immunity po ngayong taon,” Duque said during the Senate Committee of the Whole hearing on the government’s COVID-19 inoculation plan.

(If manufacturers would be able to meet demand…the best case scenario is that we will achieve herd immunity this year.)

According to Duque, “many aspects” of the vaccination plan “are already well underway,” which will enable the Department of Health (DOH) to start vaccinations by February this year.

“Malinaw po ang ating layunin, to have a safe, equitable and cost-effective immunization to all Filipinos by 2023 or earlier when there is enough global supply before 2023,” the health chief said.

(Our objective is clear, to have a safe, equitable and cost-effective immunization to all Filipinos by 2023 or earlier when there is enough global supply before 2023.)

“Based on our current negotiations, we are on track to provide the immunization services to 50 to 70 million Filipinos, provided that the global supply of vaccines are sustained or even increased within this year,” he added.

National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 chief and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said 80 percent of the global supply of COVID-19 vaccines has already been procured by “rich” countries.

Nevertheless, Galvez assured that the Philippine government will try its best to secure the remaining supply of vaccines.

“We, along with other countries, are now trying our best to negotiate with different vaccine companies to get a fair share of the vaccines for the remaining global supply,” he said.

Earlier, the DOH said that two types of COVID-19 vaccines may arrive in the country as early as February.

The Philippines also earlier signed a deal with the Serum Institute of India for 30 million doses of the Covovax COVID-19 vaccine, which will be available by the third quarter of 2021.

The government also secured 2.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca through a tripartite agreement with local private firms.

The vaccines are expected to arrive by the second quarter of the year.

The government is likewise in talks with other vaccine manufacturers such as Pfizer and Moderna of the United States, Sinovac Biotech and Sinopharm of China, and the Gamaleya Institute of Russia for the vaccination program.

JE