Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III on Wednesday, August 25, said the Philippines might attain herd immunity by the second month of the first quarter of 2022.
Appearing at the Senate Blue Ribbon committee chaired by Senator Richard Gordon, Duque said the current pace of vaccination is 400,000 a day.
The highest was 700,000 and if the pace is from 500,000 to 700,000 a day, the hoped-for herd immunity with the second dose factored in would be attained, Duque said.
At present, the DOH chief said, the Philippines inoculates 400,000 persons a day.
‘’There was a time there were 650,000 and the highest is 700,000,’’ he said.
Duque emphasized that the country experiences short supplies of COVID-19 vaccines.
Herd immunity is attained when 70 percent of the country’s more than 100 million population is vaccinated.
Asked by Gordon if the trend of infection is increasing, Duque said it is hard to say but it might yet increase.
He said the result of the two-week hard lockdown or the Enhanced Community Quarantine might be had by the September 4 or second week of September.
Last Monday, the number of COVID-19 infections was more than 18,000. This figure went down yesterday (August 24) to more than 12,000.
Duque said the DOH still needs the services of 4,800 vaccinators.