AT least half of some 2.1 million individuals who got their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine failed to get the second dose, according to data of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
The Department of Health reminded the public that one dose is not enough protection against COVID-19.
All COVID-19 vaccines available in the country, namely AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Pfizer-BioNtech, and Gamaleya, are given in two doses.
“We expect that about 2.1 million should have come back by now for their 2nd dose. But so far, only about a million have come back,” Dr John Wong, IATF-EID data analyst, said in a virtual town hall session.
“So, maybe about half of the people, who have taken their first doses, are missing out on their second doses,” he added.
Data shows that from March 1, the start of the national COVID-19 vaccination program, to May 29, only 1,046,886 vaccinees have received the second dose and 1,078,902 missed the second doses.
Wong said the DOH has yet to information as to why the vaccinees did not come back for the second dose. “That’s something that the DOH and the LGUs need to do more about,” he said.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said those who missed their schedules are encouraged to just return to their vaccination sites to be given their second doses.
“All our experts are saying that the first dose is really not enough. You need to get your second dose because it provides your with the maximum potential of the vaccine,” she said.
Vergeire also said those who were infected with COVID-19 after getting their first dose may get their second jab as soon as they are declared “recovered.”
“We can get vaccinated immediately. We don’t need to count a certain number of days,” she said.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., chief of National Task Force against Coronavirus Disease (NTF COVID-19), said the government can fully open the economy if 50 percent of the population as been vaccinated.
In an interview with ANC, Galvez said while the country still targets to inoculate 50 million to 70 million Filipinos this year to achieve herd immunity, it also eyes vaccinating up to 50 percent of the population, if vaccine supply is available, as soon as possible to fully open the economy.
Galvez said that following the experience of Israel, the United States and United Kingdom who are leading in the terms of vaccination, the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalization utilization, and deaths in those countries started to go down after they inoculated 30 percent of the population.
Galvez said that in the case of Israel, the number of cases further went down after it vaccinated 50 percent of the population and eventually fully opened their economy.
The Philippines has a population of about 110 million as of 2020. The government has so far received some 8.4 million vaccine doses and vaccinated about 5.4 million composed of health workers (Group A1 in the vaccination priority list), elders (A2 group), and individuals with comorbidities (A3). It targets to start vaccinating economic and government frontliners (A4) and the indigent sector (A5) on June 7 through a “ceremonial vaccination” program.
Galvez said the government’s targets are achievable with the steady arrival of vaccines, by increasing the number of vaccination centers to 5,000 to 6,000, and by inoculating 500,000 to 700,000 people per day.
He also said the Philippines is expecting to receive about 9.95 million doses of vaccines this month
Galvez said the government has started talks with different pharmaceutical firm for the supply of COVID-19 vaccines for those below 18 years, as government eyes the vaccination of minors by August.
He said Pfizer has applied for an expanded emergency use authority to include kids below 15 years while other pharmaceutical firms have started phases 1 and 2 of clinical trials of vaccines for those below 17 and 12 years old.
He said it would be difficult to open the economy if a big portion of the population, such as those below 18 years old, are going around without vaccination. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
