The Concerned Citizens and Doctors of the Philippines (CDC PH) has raised its opposition against the implementation of “bakuna bubble,” branding the scheme as “discriminatory” against the unvaccinated population in the country, which is yet to achieve herd immunity.
CDC PH President Homer Lim, in an interview with the BusinessMirror, said that creating bakuna bubble restricts the mobility of unvaccinated individuals.
“Simply put, prohibiting the unvaccinated from going to certain areas and venues is a way of excluding the unvaccinated from a large part of the society, something that government is not allowed to do,” he said.
Under Alert 4 in the National Capital Region, the indoor capacity for restaurants and personal care service providers is capped at 10 percent for vaccinated population only.
The threat of segregation, Lim said, is “a form of vaccine coercion that forces Filipinos to do what those in authority want them to do.”
“There are Filipinos who are willing to be voluntarily vaccinated, and there are other Filipinos who are concerned that current Covid-19 vaccines were approved only under an emergency use authorization without long-term clinical trials on side effects and adverse reactions,” he said, noting that both groups should be equally protected under the Philippine Constitution.
He stressed the importance of giving the public “freedom of choice and informed decision-making” when it comes to vaccination.
What needed to be pushed instead is the strengthening of one’s natural immunity, the CDC official said. He cited the use of vitamins, regular exercise and proper diet.
“In containing a pandemic, epidemiologists all over the world prescribe a four-pillar approach composed of: contagion control, home treatment for early-stage infections, hospitalization for late-stage infections, and vaccinations leading towards herd immunity,” he further explained.
In addition, Lim said that allowing further mobility only for the vaccinated population does not necessarily curb the spread of the Covid-19, especially amid the existence of the more transmissible Delta variant.
Lim, citing a study by Oxford researchers, said that fully vaccinated adults suffering “breakthrough infections” from the Delta variant could carry virus levels as high as unvaccinated individuals.
“While our appeals have so far fallen on deaf ears, CDC PH will continue to advocate for the implementation of scientific, evidenced based measures in the fight against Covid-19,” he added.
‘Protection, not discrimination’
Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Maria A. Concepcion disputed this claim, saying that vaccine bubbles are intended to protect the unvaccinated.
“I don’t believe there is any discrimination here when it comes to protecting the unvaccinated. What we are trying to do is to protect those that are most vulnerable in this disease,” he said during a briefing on Tuesday.
As part of the bakuna bubble, Concepcion also suggested earlier to field buses exclusively for the vaccinated passengers to allow further mobility amid the pandemic.
The Go Negosyo founder also said that establishing bakuna bubble seeks to promote higher vaccine acceptance, which is key to recovering from the pandemic.
Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez told the BusinessMirror that they have been “encouraging and motivating people” to get Covid-19 shots.
But “until supply exceeds demand and vaccination rate is high, only by then can we possibly change the protocol on this,” he said. “For now, it can be discriminatory and unduly limit the customers in areas where they are already allowed.”
He stressed, however, that limitations for the unvaccinated population are only in place for certain indoor activities under Alert 4. All are given mobility regardless of the vaccination status during Alert Levels 1-3, he added.