The Department of Health (DOH) has observed a narrowing gap between Covid-19 vaccinated and unvaccinated people in terms of hospital admissions, suggesting waning immunity among the population.

“Nakikita natin na lumilit yung gap between the unvaccinated and vaccinated na naoospital

(We are seeing that the gap between the unvaccinated and vaccinated who are being hospitalized is narrowing),” said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire in a press briefing on Wednesday, Aug. 31.

“At the onset pag tiningnan natin, almost 70 to 80 percent of those admitted with severe and critical infections are unvaccinated. Ngayon, nakita natin na halos 50:50 na ang ating figures. 50 percent na bakunado, 50 percent na hindi bakunado (At the onset when we look at it, almost 70 to 80 percent of those admitted with severe and critical infections are unvaccinated. Currently, we see that our figures are almost 50:50. 50 percent are vaccinated, 50 percent are unvaccinated),” she added.

“Yung iba meron na silang booster shots. Yung iba naman wala sila, primary series palang (The others already have booster shots, while the others only received the primary series),” she furthered.

Vergeire said that their current assumption is that this is because of the waning vaccine immunity of the public.

“So, by saying and looking at that...this is an assumption of course— kailangan natin ng ebidensya (we need evidence) for this—but this might spell or give us that warning that immunity really is waning because we already have people vaccinated but are still being admitted in our hospitals and having severe infection,” she said.

The DOH official once again reiterated their call for those eligible Filipinos to already receive their first booster shot.

“Kaya atin po talagang pinagtitibay: sana lahat may first booster shot para mas tumaas pa po ang immunity ng ating population. Meron na tayong pag-aaral na lumabas even in other countries na ito po talagang first booster shot could up your immunity up to 85 percent pag nawawala na yung immunity mo (That's why we are really affirming: I hope everyone will have a first booster shot so that the immunity of our population can increase even more. We have a study that came out, even in other countries, that the first booster shot could really raise your immunity to up to 85 percent when your immunity is waning)because of your primary series of vaccination,” said Vergeire.

“So, ito po talaga yung pinaulit-ulit natin sa ating mga kababayan na lalo na ngayon po, tulad ng sabi ko, baka dumating tayo sa panahon na tataas uli ang pagkakaospital kung hindi po tayo magrereceive nitong first booster shot (we are repeatedly reminding our citizens, especially now that we might come to a time when hospitalization will increase again if we do not receive this first booster shot),” she added.

As of Aug. 30, around 72.5 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Almost 18 million individuals have received their first booster shot and more than 2.2 million have already got their second booster dose.