At the current vaccination pace, it will take over 12 years for the Philippines to meet its planned immunization of up to 70 million Filipinos against coronavirus disease (COVID-19), former Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Esperanza Cabral said Thursday, March 18.
Cabral urged the government to fast-track its inoculation program and the process of acquiring COVID-19 vaccines.
"At the rate of vaccination we're going, pag ang speed ng vaccination ay katulad ngayon, it will take us more than 12 years bago matapos yung 70 million (if the speed of vaccination is the same as what we're doing right now, it will take us more than 12 years before we finish vaccinating 70 million Filipinos),” she said in a radio interview on Thursday.
The Philippines is aiming to inoculate 70 to 80 million Filipinos by year-end to achieve herd immunity.
"Kung ano man yung bilis na yun, kailangan natin 17 times more than that (Whatever that speed is, we need 17 times more than that)," she added.
As of Tuesday, March 16, over 240,000 healthcare workers in the Philippine have already been vaccinated against COVID-19, more than two weeks since the vaccines arrived in the country.
At least 1.12 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from China's Sinovac and British-Swede firm AstraZeneca have been delivered to the Philippines, so far.
The Sinovac vaccines were donated by China, while the AstraZeneca vaccines were secured through the vaccine-sharing COVAX facility.
Cabral also reminded the public to strictly follow the minimum health protocols amid the rise of COVID-19 cases in the country and the discovery of new variants.
"Hindi lamang wear a face mask, but wear a face mask correctly and consistently, palaging secure distance. Ang mas importante, as citizens kailangan nating gawin ito para sa mga minamahal natin at para sa bayan natin (Not only wear a face mask, but wear it correctly and consistently, always secure distance. More importantly, as citizens we need to do this for our loved ones and for our country)," she added.