key: cord-0876016-cs8us7xb
authors: Lacsa, Jose Eric M; Cordero, Dalmacito A
title: We are here…so where’s the vaccine? Achieving ‘herd immunity’ in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic
date: 2021-06-03
journal: J Public Health (Oxf)
DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab195
sha: 9d36ccdc02e6ecb626d825c940d57d292f32da3d
doc_id: 876016
cord_uid: cs8us7xb

nan

In a recent article published in this journal, the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Austria is continuously posing a problem when its findings resulted to only 46.2% of the 1007 citizens who got surveyed trusted the government in providing safe vaccines. 1 In the USA, even as vaccines became increasingly available over the course of the year, Republican resistance remained high. Last month, polls released by Monmouth University and Quinnipiac University both found that nearly half of Republican respondents would avoid getting vaccinated if possible. 2 In the Philippines, previous correspondences also discussed the same problem. To provide a solution, some authors suggest that a more 'localized' public education and role-modelling from public officials and health authorities can help a lot in building public trust, 3 while others proposed instead a house-to-house massive information campaign by local health care personnel. 4 This reality on vaccine hesitancy is considered as an obstacle to achieve 'herd immunity'. The World Health Organization defines 'herd immunity' as the indirect protection from an infectious disease that happens when a population is immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection. The organization supports achieving 'herd immunity' through vaccination, not by allowing a disease to spread through any segment of the population, as this would result in unnecessary cases and deaths. 5 The question is, despite the increasing availability of vaccines most especially in the Philippines, the problem now lies solely to the level of hesitancy from the public or there is something more?

We think that public hesitancy is not the only problem to achieve herd immunity in the Philippines but also concentrated in two things: the mismanagement/miscommunication of the vaccine distribution program and corruption by those involved public officials. At least, 3000 Filipinos went to a hotel in Manila very early in the morning to get jabbed with the Pfizer vaccine but only 900 get the jab, and the rest were very disappointed. 6 In the same scenario, Parañaque City residents flocked to a mall in the city in hopes of getting vaccinated with the same vaccine brand, but many left the place disappointed and criticized the handling that they experienced. 7 It is reported that there was only one venue for the Pfizer vaccine rollout which was the mall, concentrating all residents in a single place. These sample instances showed the lack of communication and mismanagement by different local government units. Corruption by some public officials also comes to the picture. The Philippines borrowed a record P2.74 trillion in 2020 to fight the health and socioeconomic crises inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 8 A big chunk of this fund is of course allotted to the procurement of vaccines. Despite of the low efficacy rate of the Sinovac vaccine, it is a big question why does the Philippine government still prefer to purchase this brand? This brand is actually one of the expensive options, and yet according to the recent clinical trial in Brazil, it was just 50.38% effective in late-stage trials. 9 To support this claim, Senator Panfilo Lacson in fact has exposed an attempt by some people to pocket $350 million or P16.8 billion in public funds in the form of kickbacks during a Senate hearing on the government's mass immunization program against COVID-19. 10 We therefore suggest that in order to achieve 'herd immunity' the soonest time possible, the government must not only focus on its drive to decrease the level of hesitancy of the public towards these vaccines but also to implement a well-designed vaccine distribution program. This program then should be communicated clearly to the public to avoid chaos and misunderstanding for both parties. In the same way, although corruption is indeed impossible to stop completely, government officials must present a comprehensive and transparent budget report to the public so that there will be a check and balance system by its respective branches. The public will also realize that part of this budget also comes from their own sweat as taxpayers and so maximizing it through getting vaccinated is considered as one's payment for the service rendered. Herd immunity is not simply a dream, it happened in the past, and it is bound to happen soon only if everybody is responsible in doing his/her part.

Correlates of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Austria: trust and the government

Republicans' resistance may be slowing Florida vaccine campaign

Building public trust: a response to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy predicament

Rebuilding public trust: a clarified response to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy predicament

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): herd immunity, lockdowns and COVID-19

What vaccine hesitancy? Thousands troop to Manila hotel to get limited Pfizer jabs

Resident cites confusion in crowded Pfizer vaccine rollout in Parañaque

Amid pandemic, PH borrowed a record P2.74 trillion in 2020

Respecting freedom in the absence of compassion: realistic behavior by public officials for the COVID-19 vaccination program

Lacson bares vaccine kickback attempt, The Manila Times