When it comes to preventing the further spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), vaccination is as important as wearing a mask, social distancing, and proper hygiene.

“There’s still a lot of good information about COVID-19 vaccines that should be conveyed to the Filipino people,” said Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard J. Gordon in a statement issued Tuesday, May 25.

Laying out the advantages and disadvantages of getting inoculated with the country’s current supply of COVID-19 vaccines, Gordon also reiterated his appeal to the Philippine public to get vaccinated.

“While it is true that there is still risk of complications, the chance of severe or life-threatening reactions to the vaccine is extremely rare,” Gordon said. “We cannot emphasize how much the benefits outweigh the risks,” he added.

Gordon also referred to the situation in the United States and predicted how it could apply to the Philippines. “Fully-vaccinated groups have been allowed to gather, eat, and socialize indoors without masks,” he said.

If herd immunity is achieved in the Philippines, Gordon said that people will be more confident to go to various places such as salons, churches, cinemas and even when commuting using public transportation such as trains, buses, and jeeps.

Herd immunity is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “the indirect protection from an infectious disease that happens when a population is immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection.”

Citing National Task Force (NTF) COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr., PRC said that the government aims to vaccinate 75 to 80 percent of the Philippine population to achieve this against COVID-19.

Gordon also cited the SinoVac rollout in the town of Serrana in Sao Paulo, Brazil where nearly 100 percent of its 45,000-person population was fully vaccinated and their average daily case rate of 90 went down to four mild or asymptomatic cases per day.

“Given the possibilities and the ‘return to normal’ that vaccination and herd immunity can provide—the possible economic turnaround—we therefore deem vaccination just as important as mask-wearing, social distancing, and following hygiene protocols,” Gordon said. “In short, we’re not just saving lives; we’re getting our lives back with these vaccines,” he added.