The CNMI appears to be on track to hit its target of having 80% of its eligible population vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as today.<\/p>\n
Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther Mu\u00f1a is quick to caution, though, that the threat of the highly transmissible delta variant and other emerging variants of the COVID-19 virus still remain rampant globally, so there will be no immediate changes to the CNMI\u2019s COVID-19 protocols even if it claims herd immunity.<\/p>\n
In a virtual news briefing yesterday ahead of the CNMI reaching 80%, Mu\u00f1a said the CNMI is only around 100 people away from 80% of the eligible population being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, a point at which the CNMI can claim herd immunity against COVID-19.<\/p>\n
\u201cHerd immunity\u201d refers to a form of indirect disease\/infection protection that is achieved when a certain percentage of a population has become immune to an infection either through vaccination or past exposure to an infection\/disease, reducing the chances of community spread and allowing those with no immunity to remain healthy without receiving a vaccine shot or being exposed to disease. <\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1a said there will be no immediate changes to the CNMI\u2019s COVID-19 protocols and added that she remains \u201cvery cautious\u201d in saying that 80% is the CNMI\u2019s herd immunity goal, citing that many in the community are still not vaccinated and the prominence of the highly infectious delta variant outside the CNMI.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, there\u2019s going to be no immediate changes [to protocols]. …Going back to previous interviews, I am very cautious in saying that 80% is our herd immunity [goal] for the CNMI. …It\u2019s hard for us to say that there\u2019s herd immunity when you have a large number of individuals that are still not vaccinated,\u201d said Mu\u00f1a.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we set the [herd immunity goal] of 80% back in March and April, the delta variant was not in the picture. The fact that [the delta variant] is highly infectious, has a shorter incubation period, [and] the fact that it can spread rapidly to the unvaccinated [are] things that we have to take into account for this community,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1a acknowledged that reaching 80% vaccinated is a significant achievement for the CNMI but again makes clear that she and CHCC remain on high alert. <\/p>\n
\u201cEighty percent is a significant number, but unfortunately there\u2019s still a lot of individuals that are not [vaccinated]. …The delta variant is different, [and] it does worry us. …We [don\u2019t want] our doctors overwhelmed, especially if there is community transmission and an increase in hospitalizations. When you\u2019re seeing what\u2019s happening in Guam and in Hawaii where they\u2019re running out of beds, we don\u2019t want to be in that position,\u201d said Mu\u00f1a.<\/p>\n
Guam, which has already vaccinated more than 80% of its eligible population, has lately been recording increasing numbers of daily infections, much of it blamed on the delta variant\u2019s spread in the community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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