Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez expressed excitement after learning of India’s choice to resume vaccine exports this coming October after the country halted its exports to focus on inoculating their own population as infections skyrocketed. In a statement on Thursday, September 23, Rodriguez said that this is instrumental in helping the Philippines achieve herd immunity for the COVID-19 virus.

“India is the largest COVID-19 vaccine producer in the world. With them, reopening their vaccine exports, we can have access again to their vaccines such as Novovax, Covishield and Covaxin which are proven highly effective against COVID-19 and its Deltra strain,” Rodriguez stated. 

In the same statement, Rodriguez reminded that the Philippines is in the Top 8 countries with the most COVID-19 cases in the world. He then called out the national government through the DOH and NTF to take necessary steps to include India-made vaccines in the roster of vaccines available in the country. “We cannot afford to slow down our fight against the virus,” he said. 

The Deputy Speaker believes that with more vaccines on hand, combined with the signing of multi-party agreements (MPAs) for the Local Government Units (LGUs) and the private sector, achieving herd immunity for the country is within reach. 

Meanwhile, the Philippine government is targeting to inoculate 90% of the population or 100 million Filipinos to achieve herd immunity and eyeing to vaccinate 50% to 60% of the population to achieve at least “population protection” before the end of the year. 

As of Sunday, Sept 19, 2021, only 16.77% of Filipinos or 18.56 million of the country’s population, are fully vaccinated, while 22.85 million are only partially vaccinated. 

Photo Credit: Facebook/RufusBRodriguez