23 cities with 70% vax rate only have population protection, not herd immunity, Año clarifies

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año on Friday clarified that the 23 cities in the country with at least 70% vaccination coverage have reached only population protection and not herd immunity as he earlier claimed.

In a message to GMA News Online, Año said these areas have 70% of their population or “priority groups” fully vaccinated against COVID-19. He said herd immunity is based on the actual population of a particular area.

“I would like to correct na hindi pa yan herd immunity kundi population protection dahil more than 70% ng target population (priority groups) are already vaccinated. Herd immunity is based on actual population,” he said.

(I would like to correct that that is not yet herd immunity but population protection because more than 70% ng target population [priority groups] are already vaccinated.)

Año pointed out that the country still has to vaccinate people in other local government units to secure protection for everyone.

“Just the same, we have to inoculate other areas/LGUs to ensure the protection of everyone. At least in those 23 cities, protection against COVID and safety of people living there are ensured,” he said.

On the other hand, National Task Force Against COVID-19 adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa said the herd immunity threshold was already achieved in specific areas.

"Ang herd immunity actually na-attain na natin sa specific areas na tinarget natin, 'yung NCR plus 8. Sa NCR, nakalagpas na tayo ng 90% fully vaccinated at over 100% ang at least one dose. Naabot natin 'yung tinatawag naming 'herd immunity threshold,'" Herbosa said.

(Herd immunity has actually been attained in specific areas that we targeted, the NCR plus 8. In NCR, more than 90% are fully vaccinated and over 100% received at least one dose. We have reached what we call the 'herd immunity threshold.')

He said the declining number of COVID-19 cases was further "proof" that the herd immunity threshold was achieved at focus areas.

Herbosa however noted that the national average of those fully vaccinated is at 42%, with other areas at 40% of their vaccination coverage, while people who had at least one dose is at 74%.

He said the recommendation to shorten the period between the second and third dose of COVID-19 vaccines will depend on the scientific findings of the vaccine expert panel, amid a study by BioNTech and Pfizer which showed two vaccine doses resulted in significantly lower neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant.

"Kung isa 'yan sa findings nila na gawing earlier, baka i-rekomenda 'yan kasi marami naman tayong vaccines. Pero sapat muna ang fully-vaccinated na tao— and of course there will be breakthrough infections — pero sapat muna ang tamang dose na ibinibigay ng iba't ibang klaseng bakuna," Herbosa said.

(If that woul be one of their findings to make it earlier, they might recommend it because we have a lot of vaccines. But protection in a fully-vaccinated person is enough as of the moment - and of course there will be breakthrough infections, but the right dose provided by different types of vaccines is enough.)

As the United States Food and Drug Administration expanded the authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots to 16 to 17 year olds, Herbosa said this could also be considered by the Philippine government, depending on Pfizer's application for emergency use authorization to the country's FDA.

He said doctors in the country are united that Alert Level 2 should be maintained in areas recording zero COVID-19 cases.

"I know the economic cluster wants to lower it to Alert Level 1 to increase opportunities for the economy. But we doctors are united that it would be better to maintain ALert Level 2 in these areas," Herbosa said in a mix of Filipino and English.

On Thursday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the 23 cities may have achieved the desired vaccine coverage but they have yet to achieve "absolute protection" from COVID-19.

“In terms of absolute protection, hindi pa rin kasi may mga lugar na mapapasukan pa rin sila from other areas na mababa ang vaccination coverage. So ibig sabihin pwede pa rin sila mahawaan,” Duque said.

(But in terms of absolute protection, it’s not, because there are areas that can be visited by individuals from areas with low vaccine coverage, so they can still be infected.)

Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, for his part, said there is no absolute protection from COVID-19 in any country.

He added that the Department of the Interior and Local Government has been monitoring the vaccination of the cities as these areas are the drivers of infection.

“By achieving herd immunity in the cities, we reduce the likelihood of infections in other parts of the country.  When we achieved herd immunity in NCR, cases across the country began to tumble,” he told GMA News Online.

“The same thing is happening in the provinces when the provincial cities achieved herd immunity. That’s why it’s critical that the DILG monitor the cities because they are the epicenters of infection in their areas,” he added. —KBK/AOL, GMA News