Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 30) —Vice President Leni Robredo believes it will be better for the country to retain its initial goal of having some 70 million Filipinos vaccinated against COVID-19 by year-end.
This higher target, she said, would push the government to work harder and fast-track immunization efforts.
“Okay naman ‘yung mas realistic ‘yung targets. Pero para kasi sakin, mas marami tayong gagawin, mas urgent ‘yung ating pag-aksyon pag mas mataas ‘yung targets,” she said on Sunday during her weekly radio show.
[Translation: Realistic targets are okay. But for me, we will do better and act more urgently if we have higher targets.]
Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje earlier this week said that due to global vaccine supply issues, the year-end goal would be lowered to 50 to 60 million inoculated people. If supply improves, the 70 million could still be doable, she noted.
“Para sa’kin, sana mag-aim high parin tayo,” Robredo said. “Para sakin, hindi makakasama na mag-aim parin tayo for herd immunity para ‘yung aksyon natin, ‘yung mga ginagawa natin towards that end.”
[Translation: Personally, I hope we still aim high. For me, it won’t be a bad thing to still aim for herd immunity so our actions are geared towards that end.]
According to the government, vaccination efforts this year would center on nine focus areas it dubs as “economic centers” that are vulnerable to the virus. These include Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.
In an interview with CNN Philippines on Wednesday, Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said it may take until 2022 for the country to inoculate 70 million citizens in order to reach herd immunity. However, she clarified in a later briefing that this initial figure remains the country’s “overall goal.”
