9.9M COVID-19 jabs administered during extended vaccination push

MANILA, Philippines — Almost 10 million Filipinos have been vaccinated against COVID-19 after the government extended its ambitious national vaccination push, the Department of Health said Saturday.

The government inoculated 9,937,827 people during its nationwide vaccination campaign from Monday to Friday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

Broken down, around eight million shots were administered during the country’s three-day vaccine drive, falling short of a target of nine million jabs.

Local government units continued the campaign for two more days, allowing them to give out 1.9 million more vaccine doses.

Vergeire called the mass vaccination drive a “huge success.”

The health official also called on local authorities to provide separate lanes for those who will receive COVID-19 vaccine primary series and booster shots, allow walk-ins, and maintain compliance with health protocols in vaccination sites.

The Philippines is targeting to fully vaccinate 54 million people by yearend. But latest data showed only around 37.56 million Filipinos have completed vaccination, while over 52.62 million people have received partial protection against COVID-19.

The government plans to hold another three-day vaccination activity in mid-December.

Officials urged Filipinos to get vaccinated to boost their defenses as the world prepares for the new Omicron variant of COVID-19.