DOH exec: Over 700k health workers, senior citizens vaccinated vs. COVID-19

More than 700,000 individuals, including healthcare workers and some senior citizens, were already inoculated against COVID-19, the Department of Health said Tuesday.

At a House Committee on Health meeting, DOH Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said a total of 702,362 individuals have already been vaccinated with the first dose of either Sinovac or AstraZeneca vaccine.

The data is as of March 29, according to the DOH.

Of this total number, Cabotaje said a total of 698,353 or 54.6% are frontline health workers, the priority group in the government's vaccination program.

Next in the list are the senior citizens and the individuals with comorbidities.

Second dose

Cabotaje also reported that 404 individuals have received two doses as of March 29. All of these are Metro Manila residents.

The second dose of the Sinovac vaccine must be administered 14 to 28 days after the first. For AstraZeneca, a four- to twelve-week interval between the two jabs is required. 

Meanwhile, DOH data also showed that 1,279,347 health workers have so far been included in the vaccination master list.

The agency earlier estimated that there are around 1.8 million health workers, meaning some 500,000 have yet to register for inoculation. 

Health authorities have reached out to medical societies to identify medical professionals who may not be affiliated with any hospital or clinic. —with Julia Mari Ornedo/KBK/BM, GMA News