MANILA, Philippines — At least 18 of the 47 individuals who contracted the highly transmissible Delta variant were unvaccinated against COVID-19, the Department of Health said Friday.
Only two have completed vaccination, while four have received first dose, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing.
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The department is verifying the vaccination status of the others.
Officials have been calling on Filipinos to get vaccinated to give them protection against COVID-19, especially amid the threat of the fast-spreading Delta variant.
“If you would look at evidence across the globe, you will see that most of those vaccinated, if they get infected, are only getting mild infections. We are also seeing that in Philippines,” Vergeire said.
Health officials in the country confirmed Thursday the local transmission of the Delta variant following the detection of 12 more local cases. Of the newly-recorded cases, six were from Bataan, two were from Laguna, two were from Pasig City, one from the City of Manila, and one from Taguig City.
Of the country’s 47 Delta cases, 36 have recovered, three have died, and eight remained active.
The Delta variant, which was first detected in India, is driving spikes in COVID-19 cases in parts of the globe. To prevent its spread, the government placed Metro Manila, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Davao de Oro and Davao del Norte under general community quarantine “with heightened restrictions.”
Since the inoculation drive began in March, more than 5 million individuals have completed vaccination, while 10.58 million have received at least one dose. — Gaea Katreena Cabico