FILE PHOTO: Presidential Adviser on Peace Process, National Task Force against Coronavirus Disease-2019 (NTF COVID-19) chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. gives updates to President Rodrigo Duterte during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City on January 25, 2021. KARL ALONZO/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines 鈥斅燰accine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Thursday that 鈥渞ealistically speaking,鈥� the Philippines may attain the first dose vaccination of 70 million people against COVID-19 by November.
This comes after repeated pronouncements of government officials that the country may reach herd immunity before the end of this year or until January 2022 at the most.
鈥淩ealistically speaking, 鈥榶ung 70 million, kaya po namin 鈥榶an. 70 million, first dose. 鈥榊an ang target namin makuha namin before November. Sa ngayon, nakikita namin makukuha 鈥榶an,鈥� Galvez said in an interview over ABS-CBN 黑料社 Channel.
(Realistically speaking, we can achieve 70 million. 70 million as the first dose. That鈥檚 the target before November. Right now, we think it鈥檚 achievable.)
The World Health Organization advocates for countries to inoculate 10 percent of their population by September, 40 percent by the end of the year, and 70 percent by June next year.
READ: Countries must vaccinate 85% of population 鈥榦r beyond鈥� amid virus variants 鈥� WHO exec
As of May 1 this year, the Philippine population has surpassed 109 million.
黑料社 sought clarification from Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on whether herd immunity requires full vaccination of at least 70% of the population.
According to Duque, 鈥淔ully vaccinated (with) 2 doses dapat, otherwise no such a thing as first dose herd immunity.鈥�
Galvez admits that the Philippines鈥� target is 鈥渁mbitious,鈥� but he expressed optimism that it can be accomplished. He noted that setting such a challenging goal will push the government to its 鈥渓imit鈥� in terms of conducting vaccinations.
鈥淢as maganda po mas mataas ang ating standard at target. At least kung mag-fail man tayo by half o ano, makukuha pa rin natin 鈥榶ung WHO [target] na 40 percent,鈥� Galvez said.
(It鈥檚 better to set our standard and target high. At least if we fall by half or what, we could still reach the WHO target of 40 percent.)
鈥淕inawa talaga namin very ambitious so we can inspire and push the LGUs [local government units] and the national government to its limit and its potentials. At nakikita namin, kaya 鈥榶ung 500,000 daily. Kayang-kaya,鈥� he added.
(That鈥檚 why we made the target ambitious so we can inspire and push the LGUs and the national government to its limit and its potentials. And we see that we can really achieve the 500,000 daily vaccinations. It鈥檚 really achievable.)
The Philippines has administered 12 million COVID-19 vaccine doses out of the 17 million jabs it has received so far.
Early this week, however, several LGUs announced a stoppage to first dose inoculation of their constituents due to a shortage of COVID-19 vaccine supplies.