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Govt urged: Buy COVID vaccines that are more effective vs Delta variant

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="The San Juan City local government rolls out the first doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for inoculation on June 30, 2021at the Filoil Flying V Center. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/09/02/20210630-covid-vaccine-san-juan-moderna-md-7939.jpg"/><figcaption>The San Juan City local government rolls out the first doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for inoculation on June 30, 2021at the Filoil Flying V Center. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - Government should buy more COVID-19 vaccines that work against the Delta variant, a public health advocate said Thursday.</p><p>More than half or 54 percent of the country&#x27;s procured vaccine supply is composed of Sinovac jabs, which does not seem to protect against the more transmissible variant, said Dr. Tony Leachon.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/08/10/21/moderna-vaccine-may-be-superior-to-pfizer-vs-delta">Moderna may be superior to Pfizer against Delta; breakthrough odds rise with time</a></li></ul><p>He said nations such as Indonesia, Thailand that began their vaccination program with Sinovac has since bought other vaccines.</p><p>&quot;Sinasabi lang natin maaari ba tayong umorder (ng ibang vaccine brand) kasi ang ibang countries naglilipat na ng bakuna para i-address ang Delta variant po,&quot; he told ABS-CBN&#x27;s Teleradyo.</p><p>(We&#x27;re just asking if we can order other brands because countries are switching their vaccines to address the Delta variant.</p><p>&quot;Kailangan ho magstock tayo nito kasi ayaw ho natin maiwan tayo dito pag bumulusok pataas ang (mga kaso ng) Delta variant.&quot;</p><p>(We need to stock up on these vaccines because we don&#x27;t want to be left behind when Delta variant cases surge.)</p><p>The country needs to fully vaccinate 85 to 90 percent of its population to achieve herd immunity, Leachon added.</p><p>The Philippines has so far fully inoculated 13.9 million people, while 19.7 million have yet to receive their second dose as of Tuesday, according to government data.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/06/21/nations-need-to-vaccinate-85-percent-of-population-vs-covid-19-who">Nations need to vaccinate 85 percent of population vs COVID-19: WHO</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/16/21/delta-lambda-variants-in-ph-worrying-health-expert">Presence of COVID-19 Delta, Lambda variants in PH worrying - expert</a></li></ul><p>Leachon said he first made the proposal before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee last Friday as he again denied vaccine czar Secretary Galvez&#x27; claim that he was &quot;only posturing&quot; to become the country&#x27;s next health secretary.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/18/20/ex-govt-adviser-leachon-denies-claims-he-wants-health-chief-position">Ex-govt adviser Leachon denies claims he wants health chief position</a></li></ul><p>&quot;I was just saying dapat siguro maghanda tayo for the future considering po sa ngayon mababa pa rin ang vaccine rate natin (sa) national,&quot; he said.</p><p>(I was just saying we should prepare for the future considering our national vaccination rate is still low.)</p><div> </div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1762582" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Government should buy more supply of COVID-19 vaccines that work against the Delta variant, a public health advocate said Thursday.