Gordon: It could take 5 years for PH to hit COVID vaccine target at current pace

Sen. Richard Gordon on Thursday said government implementation of the vaccination program has been slow, and that at its current pace it could take nearly 5 years to meet the target population ratio to achieve herd immunity.

"With the last 7-day average of daily vaccinated individuals at 43,835, it will take 4.8 years — almost 5 years — until 2026 to complete the 70 percent (vaccination), 77 million Filipinos," said Gordon, who is also the chairman of the Philippine Red Cross.

"So dapat dagdagan natin ang mga bakuna at magpapabakuna." 

(We need to get more vaccines and more people vaccinated.)

A population must aim to vaccinate 70 percent of its population to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19.

The country has received another delivery of 500,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from China's Sinovac Biotech, but Gordon said it wouldn't still not enough.

"Naunahan tayo. Ang mundo ay mundo ng mayayaman. Kung nalalaman natin na ganu'n ang labanan dapat nagpakauna-una na tayo . . . Dapat may sense of urgency tayo," he said.

(We fell behind. The world is ruled by the wealthy. If we're aware of that, we need to assert ourselves getting in front of the line. We must have a sense of urgency.) 

Gordon also urged the public to take any vaccine available.

"Ang bakuna ay bakuna . . . Kung iyan lang ang mayroon, kunin nyo na. Pero kung mayroong mas magaling dyan ay kunin natin," he said.

(A vaccine is a vaccine. If that's what's available, then let's use it. If there are better options out there, then let's get them, too.) 

Meanwhile, the Red Cross chief said it was more ideal to be inoculated at designated sites than have it done at home.

"Kasi sa bakuna na ito di mo alam may allergy, biglang manikip ang throat yan, di makahinga, kailangan may iniksyon yan . . . Kaya mas maganda kung sa center."

(With the COVID vaccine, we don't know if it'll cause allergies. A patient might have a hard time breathing, and you may need to be looked at. So it's better to be vaccinated at a designated center.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/23/21/richard-gordon-covid-vaccination