Over the weekend, we saw new data that provided more proof of how well COVID-19 vaccines work against the virus when it comes to offering robust protection against hospitalization and death due to the disease. 

But vaccines have held up in more ways than one. The shortage of doses in the developing world continues to complicate the pandemic response of many lower- to middle-income countries, as well as prospective timelines for when the health crisis could end globally. 

Here’s what we’re watching this week of September 13, 2021:

A number to remember

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published a study that found unvaccinated people were 11 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than those who were fully vaccinated.

• The CDC also found that those who were unvaccinated were over 10 times more likely to be hospitalized.
• The findings were for three vaccines available in America – Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson – which are also available in the Philippines. 
• The Washington Post reported that scientists welcomed the CDC’s findings that the three shots “showed continued robust protection for all adults – greater than 82 percent – against hospitalization, emergency room and urgent-care trips.”
• Yes, but aren’t most of the doses delivered to the Philippines from Sinovac? This is true, with about 33 million of the 56 million doses delivered so far supplied by the Chinese firm. The Philippines’ biggest purchase order, to date, however, is for Pfizer’s shot at 40 million doses. 
  • Sinovac, a vaccine on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Emergency Use Listing, also continues to hold up against severe disease, based on a study done in Chile and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. 

In the Philippines, the Food and Drug Administration had reported that the number of breakthrough infections was still at 0.0017%. The latest figures were as of August 29, 2021, when 242 out of 13.8 million fully vaccinated individuals were reported to have COVID-19. 

This week, the Philippines is expected to see at least 20% of the population partially vaccinated. Those who have received both doses represent about 15.2% of the population. 

Vaccine inequity lingers

As studies continue to highlight the continued effectiveness of vaccines, WHO officials have become increasingly outspoken against unequal access to jabs. They’re also placing more pressure on manufacturers and rich countries to ensure that developing countries can access life-saving doses. 

• “We don’t want any more promises. We just want the vaccines…. I will not stay silent when the companies and countries that control the global supply of vaccines think the world’s poor should be satisfied with leftovers,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a recent media forum.
• Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker showed that as of September 13, “countries and regions with the highest incomes are getting vaccinated more than 20 times faster than those with the lowest.”

Hitting home

With budget season in full swing, Philippine lawmakers are circling back to vaccine procurement and reminding the government’s coronavirus task force officials that it takes a coordinated campaign to stop the epidemic in the country. 

• In the House of Representatives, lawmakers accused the government of “playing God” after local governments and private sector raised issues with the National Task Force’s inaction on multiparty vaccine agreements. 
• With budget deliberations ongoing, they also want to know: where’s the money for shots in 2022?
• Regions and provinces that have had to wait months for doses after the government prioritized higher-risk areas like Metro Manila have cried out for vaccines, after months of battling rising COVID-19 cases with depleted funds. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez promised that will change starting this month. 
  • Related read from Rappler: Galvez: Regions outside NCR to get bigger share of incoming vaccines

Delta’s toll

The past month in a GIF shows the effects of the Philippines latest surge in infections, partly driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, which is now present in all regions: 

• The past two weeks have been particularly grim after the Philippines started registering over 20,000 cases almost daily since August 30, 2020. Record-high tallies were set – and shattered – four times over the past 15 days on August 30, September 6, September 9, and September 11. 
• A timely reminder then that when it comes to responding to the pandemic, timing is crucial. Just look at Bahrain, global health specialist Dr. Melvin Sanicas said: 

Catch up quick: The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee held its sixth hearing on the government’s spending for pandemic items on Monday, September 13. Ex-presidential adviser Michael Yang was a no-show after the previous hearing revealed he was a financier and guarantor for Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation, the biggest winner of pandemic supply contracts.

The next hearing is scheduled for Friday, September 17, after more red flags prompted even more questions about government dealings.

And finally – guidelines on the government’s new system of “granular lockdowns” are out. Implementation is expected to begin on Thursday, September 16. 

Must Read

GUIDE: Localized lockdown, alert level system for Metro Manila

– Rappler.com