HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Guam’s full vaccination rate has passed the 60,000 mark and is within reach of the governor’s Path to Half goal of fully vaccinating at least 50%, or about 62,500 adults, by May 1 to reopen tourism and ease post-travel quarantine.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said during a press conference that she will make an announcement about the Path to Half initiative in a few days, before May 1.
Residents continue to be vaccinated, each with a story or two to share on how they got to this point.
While many couples have decided to get their Covid-19 vaccine together, Maricris Aquino and her husband made sure they don’t get it on the same day — for good reason, she said.
If she comes down with a fever as a side effect of the vaccine, at least her husband will be able to take care of their 6-year-old child and her, she said, and vice versa.
Some people don’t come down with a fever or feel side effects at all, except for soreness in the vaccinated arm.
Aquino got her first dose of the Moderna vaccine at the University of Guam Calvo Field House on Friday.
“I got vaccinated today, my husband will be later so we won’t get sick at the same time if there’s going to be side effects for us. We have a little one, so we want to make sure either of us will be able to take care of our child at any time,” Aquino said.
It wasn’t the only plan. Aquino said she was hoping to get a Pfizer vaccine but didn’t have any qualms at all after being offered the Moderna vaccine when she came for her appointment at UOG.
She was initially hesitant to be vaccinated, which is why she waited this long. Aquino is a teacher at Maria A. Ulloa Elementary School in Dededo.
“I’m a teacher, so next school year, there’s going to be more students coming in for face-to-face instruction, so I want to be able to protect myself and protect my students,” she said. “Right now I’m teaching face to face, but I don’t have that much students coming in. My first group, I only have six. My second group, I only have 10.”
Next school year, however, the number of students in her classroom could rise to 18 or 20, she said.
Thankful for available vaccines
Getting fully vaccinated against Covid-19 reduces the risk of more severe symptoms for people who do catch the virus.
“I’m just glad to be fully vaccinated,” said Marian Wiggans, 34, after getting her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. “I’m very thankful there’s available vaccines here.”
Wiggans said it gives her peace of mind, knowing she’s got another layer of defense from the virus but she said she will continue to wear a mask, maintain 6 feet of distance from others, and frequently sanitize her hands.
As of Saturday, there were still 10,385 vaccine doses available on the island, according to the Joint Information Center. JIC also reported that no new cases of Covid-19 had been identified out of 332 tests performed that day.
To date, the Department of Public Health and Social Services and partner private health institutions have administered 119,515 doses of the three vaccines, mostly for either the first or second dose of Moderna or Pfizer. There were 406 residents who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine before Guam heeded federal recommendations to pause its use.
JIC data shows 51,600 fully immunized as of Saturday. Department of Defense data as of Thursday afternoon showed 7,852, and hundreds more were estimated to be added since then, bringing Guam’s full vaccination rate to at least 60,000.
Krystal Paco-San Agustin, the governor’s director of communications, on Sunday confirmed Guam’s full vaccination rate had reached at least 60,000, and she expects the DOD tally to be added in the JIC report.
New Covid-19 clusters were recently identified and DPHSS continues to do mass testing for those who may have been exposed or associated with the events.
Despite the new clusters, Guam’s Covid-19 Area Risk Score remains at 1.0, which is still below the 2.5 threshold the governor said needs to be maintained to reopen tourism, along with the 50% adult full vaccination rate and low hospitalization rate.
‘Don’t be afraid’
For many, getting the Covid-19 vaccine means bringing the whole family or most of them together to the vaccination clinic.
Rowena De Leon, of Dededo, got her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, along with her 16-year-old daughter Raven and 22-year-old daughter Rikka, who also was with her boyfriend, Gilbert Eclevia, 22.
“We want to at least have a higher chance of not getting it because of the efficacy of the vaccine,” Eclevia said. “My advice? Do your research before you get the vaccine so you’ll be more comfortable. And when you decide to get it, don’t be afraid.”
Rikka De Leon said the pandemic made their family bond stronger, looking at the bright side of things.
Augusto Santos, 54, of Dededo, brought his two adult children with him for their second Pfizer dose.
“I think it’s an additional defense from Covid,” the father said, adding that only one of the adults in the household of six has not been vaccinated, but the person is working on it.
“Maybe down the road the governor will make it mandatory, but before that can happen we already got vaccinated,” he said.
Jhon Balagot, 38, and Micaiah Penafiel, 23, got their second Pfizer doses together, doing their part to move Guam forward, Balagot said.
“It’s a personal choice but, for me, I work in the tourism industry — if this is one way to get our business back, get back to work and make sure the general populace is safer, then I’m all for it,” Balagot said.
He was furloughed from his restaurant job but hopes to be called back soon, he said, as the governor looks to reopen tourism.
Peter Verhoeff got his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, so all the adults in his household are now fully vaccinated, he said.
Lingering concerns
Diana Duenas, an administrative clerk at the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, said she was hesitant to get vaccinated but reading more about its importance, and knowing that everyone else in her office has been vaccinated already, she took the step.
“It’s a lot safer for everyone besides me. At my age — I’m already 59 — I said to myself I should get the vaccine, so I took my chances,” she said. But that doesn’t mean her worries have entirely disappeared.
“I’m still kind of nervous about it. We may be OK now but what about after a year or two?” she said. “But so far all the people I know who took it way ahead of me, they’re OK.”
Covid-19 vaccinations continue to run smoothly at the University of Guam Calvo Field House in Mangilao on Thursday.
Photo by David Castro/The Guam Daily Post
