Gatchalian casts doubt on PH herd immunity goal: ‘Vaccine hesitancy is real’

Can we reach the herd immunity goal before the end of the year?

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is worried that such goal cannot be attained as many Filipinos are hesitant to get inoculated against the coronavirus disease.

Gatchalian said vaccine hesitancy was “real,” citing the low vaccination rate among senior citizens in his home city of Valenzuela. Apart from the refusal to get vaccinated, he is also concerned the coronavirus vaccines would soon expire without being used.

“With this, we will not hit 50m herd immunity by end of the year. Vaccines will also spoil,” he tweeted on May 17.

The government aims to vaccinate 50 million to 70 million adult Filipinos to attain herd immunity by Novegebr 2021.

In Valenzuela City, only a small fraction of the senior citizens agreed to get inoculated against COVID-19.

“Vaccine hesitancy is real. Valenzuela vaccination stats after we started 2 months ago:

1. Only 20% of citizens registered for vaccination; 2. Only 19% of Senior Citizens came for vaccinations,” he said.

With some refusing to receive the COVID-19 jabs, the senator proposed to the government to allow the rest of the people to get vaccinated.

“IATF should bump up all A4s & allow general public to be vaccinated,” he said.

Health workers, senior citizens, and people with underlying health conditions are currently the priorities of the government’s vaccination campaign. Economic frontliners will be next in the vaccination line.

With this, we will not hit 50m herd immunity by end of the year. Vaccines will also spoil.

— Sherwin Gatchalian (@stgatchalian) May 16, 2021

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)