Manila Bulletin
'Aim higher': Experts suggest raising vaccination target amid Delta variant threat
Two members of the Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) suggest raising the Philippines' herd immunity target to 85-99% or even 100% due to the threat of the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19.
Dr. Nina Gloriani, head of the VEP, stated that the previous targets of 60-70% might need to be increased significantly because of the Delta variant's real concern.
VEP member Dr. Rontgene Solante concurred, emphasizing the need to potentially increase herd immunity targets to achieve better population-level immunity in the presence of the Delta variant.
The Philippine government's current herd immunity goal is to vaccinate 70 million Filipinos out of a total population of 109 million.
The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed last week that there is local transmission of the Delta variant in the country.
Solante highlighted the importance of assessing the percentage of COVID-19 cases attributed to the Delta variant to recalibrate the herd immunity target.
He cited the experiences of the US and UK, which are now aiming for 100% vaccination of their entire populations because of the variant.
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