DOH: Over 9M Filipinos fully vaccinated vs. COVID-19

The Philippines has fully vaccinated over 9.1 million individuals as of August 1, five months since the launch of its inoculation campaign in March, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

In its latest vaccine bulletin, the DOH said a total of 20,863,544 doses have been administered across the country.

The Philippines administered an average of 523,018 doses daily over the past week, higher than its target of 500,000 daily jabs, according to data from 1,465 active and reporting vaccination sites.

A total of 11,747,581 individuals have received at least one dose, composed of:

• 1,995,926 frontline health workers
• 2,884,325 senior citizens
• 3,770,784 persons with comorbidities
• 2,623,263 essential workers
• 473,283 indigents

Meanwhile, the 9,115,963 fully vaccinated individuals consists of:

• 1,571,843 frontline health workers
• 2,616,273 senior citizens
• 3,327,621 persons with comorbidities
• 1,295,610 essential workers
• 304,616 indigents

“Our defense against COVID-19 and its variants is by following the minimum public health standards and getting vaccinated,” the DOH stressed.

The agency also urged the public to continue adhering to health protocols and ensuring proper ventilation when indoors.

The government aims to inoculate 70 million individuals to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19.

Earlier in the day, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire admitted that the inoculation of senior citizens and persons with comorbidities is facing challenges after the World Health Organization flagged the low vaccination rate among the elderly. 

The Philippines has logged over 1.6 million COVID-19 cases with 1.51 million recoveries and 28,093 deaths as of Monday afternoon.—LDF, GMA News