97% of target reached in 4th nat'l COVID-19 vax drive —DOH

The government reached 97% of its target for its fourth national vaccination drive against COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

In a media forum, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said more than 1.8 million doses were administered as of March 17 as part of the fourth "Bayanihan, Bakunahan" national vaccination drive (NVD 4).

"The Bayanihan, Bakunahan reached 97% of its target. As of March 17, 2022, 1,814,315 na bakuna ang ating naiturok sa ating mga kababayan sa ating Bayanihan, Bakunahan Part 4 program," Vergeire said.

"Maari pa po kayong humabol ngayong hapon dahil ngayon po ang huling araw ng Bayanihan, Bakunahan 4," she said.

(The Bayanihan, Bakunahan reached 97% of its target. As of March 17, 2022, we have administered 1,814,315 vaccines in our Bayanihan, Bakunahan Part 4 program. You can still get vaccinated this afternoon because today is the last day of Bayanihan, Bakunahan 4.)

The DOH was aiming to administer a total of 1.87 million vaccine doses during the latest vaccination drive.

Vergeire said among those who got vaccinated were members of indigenous people living in "geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas."

NVD 4 was originally scheduled for March 10 to 12 but was later extended for the general population until Tuesday and for senior citizens until Friday.

Overall numbers

Meanwhile, at least 72.28% of the target population have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 77.96% have received their first dose.

The NVOC earlier said the priority for the latest round of nationwide inoculation drive would be senior citizens who have not yet completed their primary dose series and those set for booster shots.

A total of 6.6 million senior citizens are already fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 1.9 million are already boosted as of March 17.

For the pediatric population, at least 1.4 million were inoculated, while 9.7 million of the adolescent population are vaccinated against the virus. —KBK, GMA News