We are now about a year and a half after we have begun locking ourselves in our houses for fear of catching the COVID-19 virus. Many vaccines have been developed, and the government and the pharmaceutical companies are campaigning that we get vaccinated to become immune to the virus and finally achieve herd immunity and so end the pandemic.
Many Filipinos are hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19. This is a bit understandable because of their limited knowledge and their bad experience with the Dengvaxia fiasco. But to insist on vaccination as the only way to reach herd immunity can be a sign of narrow-mindedness or one-track mindedness.
Vaccination is not the only way to end the pandemic. The Spanish flu pandemic of a century ago did not end because of a massive vaccination program.
An alternative way to end the pandemic and to ease the fears of Filipinos about catching the COVID-19 virus is to give them a safe and sure way of recovering their health, even at home, should they get sick of the virus. Our health officials and doctors must cooperate and work together to come up with medicines and protocols that are within the reach of the ordinary people, so that if they get sick, they can get cured at home. We don’t need to crowd our hospitals.
I wonder why we are still afraid of this virus. It will always be with us. It will never disappear. It will take on more variants. It will be part of our life. We must just know how to deal with it, defeat it, and life should go on.
Fr. Cecilio L. Magsino, cesmagsino@gmail.com