Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu achieve herd immunity vs COVID-19

CEBU, Philippines —  The cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu in Cebu are among 23 high urbanized cities in the Philippines to achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus by vaccinating at least 70 percent of their eligible population, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported.

The other HUCs are San Juan, Mandaluyong, Pateros, Marikina, Taguig, Pasay, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Manila, Muntinlupa, Makati, Valenzuela, Quezon, Navotas, Pasi, Malabon, Caloocan, Baguio, Angeles, Iloilo, and Davao City.

Based on data from the Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC), Mandaue City has administered 295,284 doses for the first dose and 229,399 doses for the second dose.

Lapu-Lapu, on the other hand, has administered 337,342 doses for the first dose and 232,718 doses for the second dose.

Even with this achievement, both cities continue to inoculate the rest of its residents.

In a Facebook post, Lapu-Lapu Mayor Junard Chan said:

“Mapasigarbuhon ako nga sa 146 ka mga syudad sa tibuok Pilipinas, usa kita sa mga malampusong nakakab-ot niini nga mi-reflect usab sa padayong pagkunhod sa atong kaso sa COVID. Kay doble man ang atong paningkamot para mapapaspas ang atong vaccination ug doble sad ang inyung gihatag nga kooperasyon, hayan nga sa labing daling panahon usa usab kita sa mga syudad sa nasud nga makauna og balik sa normal nga maoy gikapinaabot gyud sa tanan. Gimingaw na gyud ko sa panahon nga mogawas ta sa balay nga dili na mag-facemask ug siguro ko nga kamo sad,” he said.

He thanked the city’s COVID frontliners and residents who cooperated in the vaccination program.

“Walay kabutangan ang akong pasalamat sa tanan. Sa tanang mga frontliners nga mitabang sa atong vaccination, sa tanang mitunga sa atong mga vaccination sites, sa tanang mihatag sa ilang suporta sama sa mga establisemento nga mihatag og discount sa ilang customers alang sa mga fully vaccinated, sa tanang mga sektors sama sa simbahan nga miawhag sa ilang mga sumosunod nga magpabakuna, sa tanang mga kompanya nga mihatag og leave sa ilang mga trabahante para makabakuna ug sa tanan tanan. Labi na sa atong Mahal nga Birhen sa Regla nga wala gayud kita pasagdi ug mihatag gayud og proteksyon kanato hangtod sa atong pagbangon og usab,” he said.

Two other Metro Cebu local government units are also nearing herd immunity – Cebu City, which is now at 64.3 percent and Minglanilla town at 66.6 percent.

Omicron

During the last Talk to The People of President Rodrigo Duterte, OCTA Research fellow, Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, said the country should be prepared for the entry of the Omicron variant even if the Philippines has already gained substantial immunity from natural infection and vaccination in urban areas.

“We’ve gained substantial immunity from natural infections and vaccination in the urban areas of the Philippines because the pandemic has raged and spread primarily in cities and in our first-class municipalities. And so, the fact that the virus is struggling to find new Filipinos to infect suggests that we have attained substantial population immunity,” Austriaco said, explaining the lowering of COVID cases in the country as a whole.

Preliminary reports of the latest variant of concern, the Omicron variant, show it is more transmissible than the Delta variant but it is less deadly especially if one is vaccinated, Austriaco said.

He suggested that the national government “build walls around the airports”.

“Do not panic… but be careful. We need to build a wall around these airports because once this omicron arrives, it will try to spread into the Filipino population and if the Filipinos around the airport po is heavily vaccinated, it will struggle,” Austriaco said.

He said the country should prepare the medicines that have been proven effective against COVID-19.

He also urged those still unvaccinated to get the jab.

“I must urge vaccination to the unvaccinated Filipinos… it (Omicron) will find every unvaccinated Filipino… even mild, it is still COVID-19… and can risk the lolos and lolas, as well,” he said.

Nationwide vaccination

Duterte was quick to order a second round of the Bayanihan, Bakunahan National Vaccination Days set on December 15 to 17.

The national government is looking at inoculating seven million residents, mostly for the second dose.

During the first round of the extended NVD, the country was able to vaccinate 9,937,827 Filipinos, mostly for the first dose.

“I hope that it would have the same success… I thank the doctors, volunteers, Secretary Duque, Secretary Galvez…I thank u on behalf of the Filipino people,” Duterte said.

Following the announcement, VVOC is now gearing up for the second round of nationwide vaccination.

VVOC targets 19,317 doses for Cebu City; over 5,000 for Naga City; 10,689 for Talisay City; 6,957 for Cordova; 11,022 for Liloan; 3,903 for Minglanilla; and 3,954 for Consolacion. — JMO (FREEMAN)