My eldest son, who is 19 years old, got his first dose of Sinovac last week. My son dutifully accompanied me when I got my two Sinovac jabs. The setup got reversed last week, with him getting the jab and I accompanying him. I tried guiding him through the process but I soon realized he resented the gesture. He is now in college and seemed to want to do things on his own. I recalled my rebellious years when I was younger and so ended up keeping my distance.
I would like to thank the health workers and the barangay captain of Pakigne in Minglanilla town where my son got his first Sinovac dose I thought he would not be inoculated this year but the health worker promised to include him in that particular vaccination schedule. This means only one in the family is unvaccinated. My youngest son may have to wait a bit longer.
I have observed an increased enthusiasm among barangay folks for vaccination. The gym where the vaccination was held was flooded with people. This was unlike early on when a doctor told me to help persuade other senior citizens in our place to have their jabs because many of them refused to be vaccinated. He said we are still far from the number needed to achieve herd immunity and end the pandemic.
That has become the problem in the US where the aggressive vaccination effort got stalled by some sectors’ refusal to have themselves vaccinated. The worry is that this might end up as a “pandemic of the unvaccinated,” especially with the entry of the delta variant of the coronavirus. There is now in the US another surge in Covid-19 infections even if its supply of the vaccines is more than adequate.
In Cebu, there is also a new surge in infections even if there is no reported local transmission of the delta variant yet. What if the delta variant is added to the mix? I hope this will worry our government officials because I am sure the worry will prod them to act. They should let go of this insistence to normalize the situation because our situation is still far from normal, especially with the delta variant now threatening our communities.
In Lapu-Lapu City, my friend Nagiel Bañacia, who is with the local government unit, has openly expressed his worry that a stricter level of community quarantine will be imposed in the city. The number of infections is also rising there. I think that should be done everywhere if we want to prevent the spread of the virus.
My other friend, broadcaster Jess Villarba, posted a message from a friend on his Facebook account about the presence of ambulances from some towns at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center supposedly carrying Covid-19 patients. Those who are complaining about another possible lockdown should better be strict in following health protocols. Or they should help in the campaign to have the most number of Filipinos vaccinated. The earlier we achieve herd immunity, the better.