Vaccination efforts in areas experiencing a rapid increase in new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases will be ramped up so they can immediately achieve herd immunity, the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 bared Tuesday, April 6.
NTF chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said they are eyeing the immediate vaccination of 70 percent of the population in the National Capital Region (NCR), the epicenter of the pandemic in the country, to contain the pandemic.
NCR has a population of 12.88 million in 2015, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which means that 70 percent of its population is around nine million.
"Yes, that is one of our strategies. According to experts, the private sector, and former secretaries of the DOH , we need to concentrate in populous areas," Galvez said at a virtual press briefing.
Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection that is achieved when a sufficient percentage of the population becomes immune to an infectious disease.
The national government has set a goal to vaccinate 70 percent of the country's total population by the end of 2021. This means that the government needs to inoculate around 70 million out of 100 million Filipinos.
But since the surge of cases are experienced in select areas only, Galvez said it would be wise to concentrate the government's efforts in eliminating the virus in the most affected areas.
Aside from Metro Manila, Galvez said they will also focus on achieving herd immunity in Greater Manila Area including Central Luzon (Region 3) and Calabarzon (Region 4A), Western Visayas (Region 6), Cebu, Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), and Davao.
Galvez said he expects that the targeted herd immunity in high risk areas will be accelerated once the A1 to A5 priorities in the vaccination program are simultaneously vaccinated in May.
The A1 to A5 priorities include frontline health workers, senior citizens, persons with co-morbidities, frontline personnel in other essential sectors, and indigent population.
At present, the government has authorized the simultaneous vaccination of A1 to A3 priorities with the limited supply of vaccines.
"By May, considering that we will celebrate Labor Day, we can of our economic frontliners and vulnerable laborers," Galvez said.
"We are recommending to NITAG to include the A4 and A5 priorities since the vaccine orders of the private sector will arrive coincidentally with the Labor Day," he added, referring to the 2.6 million AstraZeneca vaccines that were purchased by the private sector, half of which or 1.3 million will be donated to the government.