The biggest news this week in the war against Covid-19 is Britain’s kick-off of its mass vaccination program on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. Margaret Keenan, 90, was the first to get a jab and Filipina nurse May Parsons got a bit of the limelight for doing the job.
The United States has not done so yet as the Food and Drug Administration is still assessing vaccine candidates, though the virus continues to threaten lives. A White House spokesperson, noting of the winter months, was not so reassuring, stating that the pandemic will be “the worst event that this country will face, not just from a public health side.” The Johns Hopkins University data revealed that the average daily infection in the US is approaching 200,000 at the latest.
And the Philippines? While most countries have made advance orders for the vaccine long before its availability, Congress is still debating on the budget. It is reported that the country has yet to finalize its order of the vaccine. One report said the government is still evaluating on whether to order the vaccines from China or Russia and 10 other suppliers. With the high demand for the vaccine and the limited capacity of manufacturers, it may well be that the Philippines is at the tail end of most of the suppliers’ lists.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, citing a best-case scenario, said a vaccine would become available between April and June 2021, and that it may not be until late 2021 or early 2022 for the government to obtain a vaccine for local distribution.
If we make Britain’s rollout as a starting point, the Philippines will have its first jab four months late. According to the World Health Organization report 63 on the Philippines dated Nov. 25: “In the past weeks, there seem to have been a decrease in daily reported cases, deaths and recoveries by as much as 25%.” At that time the data revealed: 422,915 infected and 8,215 confirmed deaths. While the numbers pale in comparison to the United States, we simply can’t remain complacent.
Already, people are wanting to move on with their lives. In New Zealand where I live, it is back-to-normal, though border restrictions remain. While there are still Covid-19 cases, these are confined in quarantine facilities for citizens, residents and a few exceptions coming from overseas. There has been no community transmission for some time. The same is true in Taiwan whose efficient public health infrastructure and disciplined public prevented a national lockdown that New Zealand adopted.
Other than New Zealand and Taiwan, the Covid-19 Global Response Index mentions Senegal, Iceland, Denmark and Saudi Arabia as models in disease management and prevention.
The pandemic tested the abilities of national leaders and the capabilities of their citizenry in coping with crisis. There were a few who succeeded, while many others utterly failed. With the vaccine, all should be well. How soon? That is yet another challenge for leaders.