74% of PNP personnel now fully vaccinated vs COVID-19

Members of the Philippine National Police gather at Camp Crame headquarters in 2018. (File photo by EDWIN BACASMAS / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines —  The Philippine National Police (PNP) already has 74% of its personnel —  or 164,787 out of 222,743 —fully vaccinated against COVID-19, PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said on Tuesday.

A total of  22.46 percent — or 50,019 — have received their first dose of the vaccine, leaving only 3.56percent — or  7,937 — who have not been vaccinated at all.

“With the continuous arrival of vaccines bought by the government, I’m hoping that in the following days the entire ranks of the police will be vaccinated,” Eleazar said in Filipino.

“Vaccines against COVID-19 are a big help especially to our police officers on the frontline. That’s why we continue to pursue the goal of giving everyone additional protection against the deadly virus,” he added.

However, despite the vaccination program, some police officers still get infected and die from the disease.

The latest who died — the 117th in the PNP —  is a 45-year-old commissioned officer assigned to the Mimaropa Police Regional Office  (PRO  4B).

Citing information from the PNP Health Service, Eleazar said the officer was confirmed infected last Sept. 22 and was admitted to a hospital.  He was diagnosed as a severe case because he had comorbidities that made the effect of the disease worse.

The officer’s immediate cause of death was recorded as acute respiratory failure due to pneumonia and pulmonary embolism.

He also his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine last July 27.

As of Tuesday, the active COVID-19 cases in the PNP had gone down to 2,092, as 274 recoveries were recorded, offsetting the 143 new cases.

Total recoveries were at 37,265, which is 94.4 percent of the 39,474 total confirmed cases in the PNP.

ATM