MMDA: Over 70% of NCR residents expected to get 2 doses by end of September

More than 70% of the population in the National Capital Region (NCR) is expected to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of September, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Thursday.

In an interview on Balitanghali, MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos said around 81% of NCR residents have received at least one dose of vaccine against the illness.

“So magse-second dose na ‘yan. Karamihan diyan ay Sinovac, Pfizer, Moderna, Gamaleya, which is one month. So ang tatlong buwan lang ay AstraZeneca,” he said.

(They will be receiving their second doses soon. Most of them are Sinovac, Pfizer, Moderna, Gamaleya, which is one month. Only AstraZeneca has a three-month break.)

“So kung titignan mo ‘yung one month na ‘yan, you’re hitting September 30. Kinompute ko, more or less 72% ng population ng Metro Manila makaka-two doses, double protection,” he added.

(So if you look at that one month, you’ll be hitting September 30. I computed it, more or less 72% of the population in Metro Manila will receive two doses.)

Abalos previously said that 11.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have already been administered in NCR.

“So maganda talaga ang hinahagdan ng bakuna. So magdasal na lang tayo na kung may variant man ay talagang effective itong vaccination na ginagawa natin,”  he said.

(Vaccinations are really good. Let us pray that they will remain effective against the variants.)

The OCTA Research group earlier said that the COVID-19 reproduction number in NCR further went down to 1.39 as of September 2 compared to 1.43 as of August 31.

Meanwhile, the country has logged a total of 2,003,955 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 1,829,473 have recovered and 33,533 have died.—AOL, GMA News