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Philippines may raise vaccine target amid new variants

The Philippines may increase its COVID-19 immunity target from 70% to 100% of the country’s population to prevent community transmission due to emerging coronavirus variants, a Department of Health official said Sunday.

In an interview over Super Radyo dzBB, DOH Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said that the 70% herd immunity target could only protect people from severe infection of the original virus strain.

“Yung 70% yun yung sa original strain ng virus natin yung SARS-CoV-2. Ngayon nagkakaroon ng maraming variant, kailangan taasan ang herd immunity. In fact, target natin 90% or kung puwede 100%,” said Vega.

(The 70% target for herd immunity is for the original strain of the coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2. But with the new variants, we need to raise the herd immunity to 90%, or possibly 100%.)