DESPITE delays in the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, the government remains optimistic that their target of achieving “herd immunity” in the country by either end of this year or second quarter of next year remains on track despite delays in the arrival of vaccines amid the shortage in world supply.
Interviewed over the radio, vaccine czar Calito Galvez said that at least one million doses will arrive on Wednesday, including 500,000 doses from China-made CoronaVac by Sinovac and close to 500,000 doses from Russia’s Sputnik V from Gamaleya Institute.
“With the expected arrival of Sinovac and Sputnik V this coming 29 April, we will have a total of 4.5 million doses of vaccines. At present, we have a total of 3.5 million doses from Sinovac and AstraZeneca,” said Galvez.
The vaccine czar said that the country’s supply would soon be stabilized as soon as the bulk of the procured COVID-19 jabs start arriving by mid-year.
“We are really experiencing constriction in the world supply. The European Union and India prevented the export of AstraZeneca to focus the supply of the vaccine in EU and India amid the increase in the COVID cases in the country and we expect this to persist until July or August,” Galvez said.
Moreover, Galvez said that under the government’s amended target of vaccinating 50 million to 70 million Filipinos, the inoculation program will prioritize geographic focus areas, such as Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, and highly-urbanized economic zones.
Galvez added that the Philippines hopes to adopt the model being implemented in Israel where after vaccinating 18 years old and above, the government will look into the possibility of vaccinating aged 16 and below to achieve the target herd immunity.
“Based on our computation, more or less, we have a 30 million population from 18 years and below and according to the experts from Israel, we cannot achieve herd immunity if we have more than 30 percent of our population that can go around, that can still be infected,” Galvez said.
“Instead of herd immunity, we are implementing the herd containment, where we will target the 18 and above in our vaccination program and once we achieve the herd containment, we will work for scientific studies where we can allow the vaccination of 16 years old and below,” he added.
Galvez also hinted at striking a deal with Janssen of Johnson and Johnson which will ensure an additional six to 10 million doses.
“Since Janssen entails a single dose, there is a big prospect that after the United States completes its vaccination in July, we can increase our orders not only from Johnson and Johnson but also other products from the US like Pfizer and Moderna,” he said.
“We can assure that this coming June, we will have a steady and secured supply from seven companies,” Galvez added