MANILA – The government anticipates that by October, at least 85 percent of the eligible population in the National Capital Region (NCR) will be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, while increasing the national vaccination program to up to 50 percent in the Plus 8 areas of Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal.
As of early September, around 52.3 percent of NCR residents, or approximately five million, have been fully vaccinated, while 81.72 percent, or nearly eight million, have received their first dose.
“Ang atin din pong target is by the end of the month, mag-80 percent na po na fully vaccinated ang NCR kasi nagse-second dose na po sila. Kayang kaya po nila po ‘yun (Our target by the end of the month is to fully vaccinate 80 percent in NCR since they are now having second doses. They can do it). Other key cities can raise the vaccination to 50 percent,” National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said during President Rodrigo Duterte’s Talk to the People aired Tuesday morning.
Galvez, who is also the vaccine czar, stated that around 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine will be distributed until October, allowing the government to expand vaccination to other sectors.
“We will ramp up our deliveries na (so) at least maka-reach po tayo ng (we could reach) 100 million by the end of the month so that we can open up more vaccination for other sectors like the children and the adolescent,” he said.
In addition, the government intends to increase the daily average vaccination rate by 500,000 to 800,000 doses.
In the previous seven days, 366,765 doses of vaccine were provided on a daily basis.
The Philippines has already received 66,699,340 doses, with an additional 391,950 doses of government-purchased Pfizer vaccines expected to arrive on Tuesday night.
Of the total vaccine stockpile, 44,964,020 doses were procured by the national government, 16,067,680 doses were acquired through the COVAX Facility, 5,028,500 were ordered by the private sector and local government units (LGUs), and 3,639,140 donated by other countries.
The government received 17,798,750 doses in September alone, with 10,654,990 doses already administered.
As of now, the Philippines has given 44,361,285 doses across the country, with 23,777,705 first doses and 20,583,580 second doses given.
“For the month of September, our throughput was reduced to 10 million due to vaccine challenges. Deliveries started during the middle of the month and the surge of cases diverted the attention of LGUs,” Galvez said.
