COMMONWEALTH Healthcare Corp. Chief Executive officer Esther L. Muna on Friday said when 80% herd immunity is achieved in the CNMI, the greatest concern is still the unvaccinated population, especially children under 12 years of age who are ineligible to take the Covid-19 vaccine.
Muna said based on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the chances of a community spread are slim in a vaccinated population or “bubble.”
With the annual Taste of the Marianas scheduled to take place this Saturday, Aug. 28, Muna said there will be a mingling of the vaccinated and the unvaccinated.
If an unvaccinated individual at the event were to contract the virus, it would lead to a community spread, she added.
She noted that there are still several inbound passengers, all of whom could potentially be carrying the virus into the CNMI.
Vaccinated inbound passengers who tested positive for Covid-19 in the CNMI either received their Covid-19 in the CNMI or in another jurisdiction, Muna said.
She added that even if vaccinated individuals with children were to gather at the beach, the unvaccinated — in this case, the children — would be most at risk of contracting the virus.
“Right now, if we reach herd immunity, that’s great, but it doesn’t help if we still have a large number of unprotected individuals and our borders are open…. That’s the reason why if we’re going to achieve herd immunity, we need to also think about the people who right now are not eligible, that are at risk, because of how we are here in the CNMI and how we live,” she said.
“There’s still a large number of people that are chronically ill, immunocompromised, and are at risk of getting [the virus] and dying.”
Muna said even if there is herd immunity for the adult population or for the eligible population of persons 12 years of age and older, there would be no herd immunity for the ineligible population, or those under 12 years of age.
3 new Covid-19 cases
On Tuesday, CHCC said three individuals had been confirmed positive for Covid-19. This brings the CNMI’s total to 229 cases since March 28, 2020.
“The individuals were identified by travel screening and confirmed through testing on arrival on Aug. 23, 2021,” CHCC said.
“The individuals have been quarantined and are actively monitored,” it added.
“The CHCC Communicable Disease Investigation/Inspection team has already initiated contact tracing for the most immediate contacts of the new confirmed cases. All Covid-19 positive cases are investigated thoroughly.”
FDA approval
On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for the prevention of Covid-19 in individuals 16 years of age or older.
In a clinical trial, the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine proved to be 91% effective in preventing Covid-19. It will now be marketed as Comirnaty.
FDA-approved vaccines undergo the agency’s standard process for reviewing the quality, safety, and effectiveness of medical products.
Since Dec. 11, 2020, the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has been available under emergency use authorization, or EUA, in individuals 16 years of age and older.
On May 10, 2021, this authorization was expanded to include individuals 12 to 15 years of age.
The EUA for individuals 12 to 15 years of age remains in effect.
As of Tuesday, 76.8% of the eligible CNMI population, or 1,414 individuals, had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
In a statement on Tuesday, Gov, Ralph DLG Torres said:
“Our frontliners, doctors, and nurses from CHCC and our Task Force have worked very hard over the course of the last year and a half to keep our community safe, and vaccination of our people remains the ultimate goal in defeating this virus. We are grateful for the news from the FDA of the full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, and we hope that this serves as proper justification for the legitimacy of the vaccine. We look forward to seeing the other vaccines get the same authorization, as well as more of our people getting protected. We are almost there, CNMI. Together, we can be stronger with the protection the vaccine provides, and by looking out for one another.”
