DOH eyeing COVID-19 ‘population protection’ in NCR Plus 8 by year-end

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is hoping that COVID-19 “population protection” will be achieved in the s0-called National Capital Region (NCR) Plus 8  by the end of the year.

DOH Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire explained that while the country’s long-term plan is to achieve herd immunity in the country, the current goal is to achieve population protection which refers to focusing vaccination efforts in specific areas.

“So for NCR Plus 8, ito yung ating ine-estima na hopefully by the end of the year, we will achieve this, we will be able to achieve this, depending on the supplies that will come in,” Vergeire said in a press briefing.

(For NCR Plus 8, our estimate is hopefully we can achieve population protection by the end of the year, depending on the supplies that will come in.)

DOH Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire (FILE PHOTO)

The NCR Plus 8 covers Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal.

“[P]opulation protection also speaks of us here in the country being able to vaccinate those most vulnerable because once you vaccinate those most vulnerable—the healthcare workers, the senior citizens, and also those with co-morbidities—you get to see the reduction in hospitalization and deaths,” Vergeire said.

Data as of June 6, 2021, showed that 5.95 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country, with 4.4 million of them as first doses.

Meanwhile, a total of 1.54 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated.

According to DOH, over 1.39 million doses were provided as the first dose to medical front-liners, 1.53 million to senior citizens, 1.47 million to persons with comorbidities, and 12,259 to essential workers.

A total of 827,089 medical front-liners, 369,387 senior citizens, 343,297 persons with comorbidities, and 4,559 essential workers are fully vaccinated.

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