"WE NEED TO GAIN MOMENTUM"
Hontiveros to IATF: Current pace of vaccine rollout insufficient vs new COVID variants

Senator Risa Hontiveros has expressed her disappointment about the current pace of the vaccine rollout in the country, saying it is insufficient to protect the population against more transmissible COVID-19 variants.

While the senator acknowledged that more than 10 million people have been vaccinated, the senator is dismayed that the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force's (IATF) own targets are yet to be accomplished.

"Magandang balita na pumapalo na sa milyon ang nababakunahang Pilipino laban sa COVID-19. Pero sa huling report, malayo pa rin ito sa target na bilang ng populasyon na kinakailangang maprotektahan. Nakakadismaya kasi noong naghahanap tayo ng supply, pinapakampante tayo na may darating. Pero ngayong nasa takdang oras na tayo, hindi pa rin natutupad," she said.

Aside from the threat of new variants, the statement also comes amid reports of local government units (LGU) cancelling their vaccination schedules for lack of supply.

"Ang daming LGU ang nagpahayag ng kahandaan para sa vaccination roll out. Mayroon silang cold storage facility, vaccinators, dedicated na lugar, mataas ang vaccine confidence, pero walang maibigay na bakuna ang IATF," Hontiveros stressed.

"If we hope to achieve herd immunity or even containment, dapat lahat ng probinsya makatikim naman ng tuluy-tuloy na supply ng bakuna. Otherwise, there will always be a threat of surges elsewhere, lalo na sa mga lugar na mababa ang vaccination coverage," she emphasized.

Health experts had said fully vaccinated people, or those who have received their two doses, are at lower risk for severe illness and death.

"Yung bilis at gilas ng supply ng ating bakuna ang makakapagsabi kung kakayanin ba ng ating bansa na tapatan ang mga naglalabasang variants. Paulit-ulit nating hinihikayat ang IATF na mas bilisan pa ang pagbabakuna, dahil nangangalahati na ang taon, pero napakalayo pa rin ng agwat ng target para sa herd immunity kumpara sa ginagawang pagbabakuna araw-araw," Hontiveros said.

Currently, the government is able to perform an average of more than 240,000 vaccinations a day. This is still less than half of the previously recommended 500,000 vaccinations daily. This is also very distant from the more than 720,000 doses needed to be administered every day to reach IATF's own herd immunity target by December 31, 2021

"Hindi pwedeng patse-patse ang tugon sa isang pandemya. Walang probinsya ang maiiwan. Makakamit lamang iyan kung sisiguraduhin ng gobyerno na stable ang supply ng bakuna para sa mamamayan. We must gain a strong and steady momentum in this long fight against COVID-19," Hontiveros concluded.