TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Aug. 20 (PIA) -- The Bohol Inter Agency Task Force (BIATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease spokesperson recently said it would take Bohol another two to three years to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19 if the current situation persists.

Speaking during a radio interview and aired over a local radio station, BIATF Spokesperson Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez said if Bohol does not use satellite vaccination teams and if supply of vaccines continues to be scarce, then Bohol would still have to deal with the COVID-19 threat.

With 11,339 confirmed COVID-19 cases, some 245 have died, or 2.1% of those who were infected with the disease died. 

For the whole country, the average is at 1.7%.

Lopez said that even when Bohol puts up more vaccination teams, it is still dependent on the availability of the vaccines. 

At the current vaccine arrival rate, Bohol has since averaged 53,670 doses per month from March 6 to Sept. 6.

To date, the Provincial Health Office has reported 322,020 vaccine doses still available as of 11:00 p.m. of Aug. 19.

Since March 6, Bohol vaccination teams have given complete protection or two doses of the two-dose vaccines and single dose of the Johnson and Johnson's vaccine to 137,250 individuals. 

They have also given first doses to 115,133 individuals who would be getting their second doses in less than a month’s time.

In the last five months, Bohol vaccination teams have inoculated 252,383 Boholanos for their first and second doses.

The 137,250 individuals who have been given full protection from the disease is still at 43.50% of the masterlisted medical and health frontline workers, senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, and essential workers.

With a population of 1,394,329 in Bohol, health authorities need to vaccinate 976,030 persons to attain the target 70% vaccination for the entire population.  

Epidemiologists have said that if a community attains 70% vaccination against COVID for its citizens, they would attain herd immunity.

With 137,250 fully vaccinated Boholanos, the figure is still 14.06% of the 70% population.

The number of fully vaccinated individuals, however, is already 32.81% of the 30% population intended to be vaccinated to attain at least a leveling-off of infections or what medical authorities term as "flattening the curve."

This means that the community which vaccinated 30% of its constituents will experience no more new cases, although the figures will flatten out.

By attaining 50% vaccination of a local population, the community can already experience a downtrend in cases and deaths. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)