DOH: Over 3.2M fully vaccinated vs. COVID-19; new targets set

The Philippines has fully vaccinated 4.5% or 3.2 million of its 70 million target population for COVID-19 jabs, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

At a briefing, Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said 12,703,081 doses have been administered nationwide as of July 8, with an average of around 200,000 shots administered daily.

A total of 9,493,839 individuals have received at least one dose, accounting for 13.4% of the government’s 70-million target. Of this number, 3,209,242 have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after receiving both doses.

Out of the targeted 1,626,495 health workers who form the A1 sector, 1,603,717 have gotten partial protection and 1,165,125 have completed two doses.

In the expanded A1 priority group that includes outbound OFWs and family members of health workers, among others, 161,959 have received at least one dose and 14,365 have gotten both shots. 

Among the targeted 8,274,916 senior citizens, 2,632,861 have been partially protected and 861,560 have been fully vaccinated.

Out of the 7,085,183 targeted persons with comorbidities, 3,184,933 have received at least one shot and 1,039,710 have gotten both doses.

Among the 35.5 million targeted essential workers, 1,614,481 have received partial protection and 103,990 have been fully inoculated.

Out of 6,215,383 targeted indigent Filipinos, 295,888 have gotten at least one dose and 24,492 have received two doses.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire agreed with an OCTA Research fellow’s earlier projection that Metro Manila may become resilient against the more transmissible Delta coronavirus variant in a few months. 

“If we achieve 30% [coverage], actually it’s not just the Delta variant. Magiging resilient sa COVID-19, doon sa sakit mismo against all of these variants, if people will be vaccinated and if we can reach this 30% to 50%,” she explained.

(If we achieve 30% coverage, actually it’s not just the Delta variant. We will become resilient to the COVID-19 disease and against all of these variants if people will be vaccinated and if we can reach this 30% to 50%.)

New targets

Meanwhile, Cabotaje said the government now aims to vaccinate at least 90% of the A1 priority group by the end of June, more than 90% of senior citizens by the end of July, and at least 90% of persons with comorbidities by the end of August.

She also said the government seeks to report daily COVID-19 vaccine coverage and inventory as well as cold chain and logistics management.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said the Department of Information and Communications Technology committed to encode 90% of all vaccinated individuals by July 31. — RSJ, GMA News