Supply and demand

Several local government units had to stop giving first-dose vaccinations because of dwindling supplies. They also needed to save doses for those getting their second jabs. In other words, they have not been adequately supplied by the National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF). The NTF asked for understanding as vaccines could not be readily given to those requesting more. The supply for the whole country isn't that much to go around. While the NTF is pleased to see more people willing to be vaccinated, the supply is becoming a problem. A case of supply and demand. Good thing the vaccines are free.

Nonetheless, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. is convinced that 70 million people will have received their first dose by November. So let’s look at the data. According to ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations, 8.26% of the population, or 9.05 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine last July 6. November is only four months away. If supply is the current problem, I'm skeptical Galvez’s target will be met unless all the previously-announced millions of doses of various vaccines arrive. That's a big "if".

At worldometers.info/coronavirus/, the country's standing worsened by a notch. We are the 23rd country in terms of the number of positive cases. When I first discovered this website we were at number 32. We are still recording 4,000 to 6,000 positive cases per day despite the findings of analysts noticing the spread in Metro Manila has slowed down. The provinces are now bearing the brunt of increases in COVID-19 partly due to receiving few doses of the vaccine from the NTF. A lawmaker has already accused the NTF of favoritism which the latter has vehemently denied.

Galvez, on the other hand, said if the target of 70% is not met this November and we achieve only 40%, we will still meet the WHO target. I believe 40% is a more realistic target based on the trend we see online. It boils down to getting the most number of people vaccinated in the fastest time possible. The Delta variant is now a major concern among health officials all over the world. The US is seeing a spike in the number of cases attributed to the Delta variant, made worse by the ridiculous, politically-partisan, and indoctrinated anti-vaxxers. The DOH should continue monitoring and screening all incoming persons lest it makes the same mistake of not closing our borders fast enough just to appease China. We cannot afford the Delta variant to spread, especially with so many yet to be vaccinated.