Two years into the pandemic, the term “herd immunity” versus COVID-19 does not apply anymore, according to Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
Duque who was in Bacolod City yesterday for the launch of “Resbakuna sa Botika” explained that even if Bacolod City has vaccinated 91% of its population against COVID-19, herd immunity does not apply anymore because even if you are vaccinated you can still be infected.
The proper term according to Duque would be that Bacolod has hit its population protection target stressing that residents who have been vaccinated will not suffer from severe to critical condition. That is why the health secretary stressed that vaccination remains as the game changer in the fight against COVID-19.
A DOH study according to Duque revealed that 10,000 COVID-19 admissions in hospitals shows that 85% were unvaccinated and 93% of all the deaths have not also received a single shot versus coronavirus.
The country’s health chief also echoed the previous statement of Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia for everyone to learn to live with the pandemic, by ensuring the vaccination of all because it is crucial to the recovery of the economy.
He stressed: “We can no longer afford lockdowns, we can no longer afford any more people unemployed because what comes with underemployment is hunger, and then it will lead to more sickness and death.”
Duque together with Secretary Carlito Galvez, the National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar, and Secretary Vivencio Dizon arrived in Bacolod City Thursday afternoon, February 3, to officially launch “Resbakuna Sa Botika” at Mercury Drug Store at Ayala Capitol Central. According to Duque more drug stores in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental will soon serve as vaccination sites for residents to avail their shots against COVID-19 or get their booster shots free.
