5 million doses of COVID-19 jabs administered since start of 2nd nat’l vax drive

This photo shows people who just received vaccination against COVID-19. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — At least five million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered since the extended second national immunization campaign dubbed “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” kicked off on December 15.

National Vaccination Operations Center’s Dr. Kezia Lorraine Rosario’s report on Wednesday showed that 5,056,186 anti-COVID shots were injected from December 15-21.

“In total, may na-administer na tayo na (we administered) around 103 million doses since we started our campaign, and then yesterday, which is part pa rin ng (of our) Bayanihan, Bakunahan part 2, we vaccinated 1,034,843 doses yesterday,” Rosario said during the Laging Handa briefing.

Some areas which were affected by Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) just started with their vaccination drive on Monday, December 20.

Other local government units still reeling from the impact of Odette, said to be the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year, are yet to hold their Bayanihan, Bakunahan campaign.

READ: Gov’t postpones nat’l vax days in Bicol, Mimaropa, Visayas, Mindanao

“Even though affected ‘yung several areas natin, tumutok tayo du’n sa mga areas na pwede namang i-push ‘yung pagbabakuna. Somehow, relatively okay din ‘yung pagbabakuna natin yesterday, last Monday, and then with the previous na makita natin na last Thursday and Friday affected talaga ‘yung pagbabakuna,” Rosario pointed out.

(Even though several areas were affected, we focused on areas where we can ramp up vaccination. Somehow, it was relatively okay yesterday, last Monday, and then with last Thursday and Friday, we can see that vaccination is really affected.)

“With the results ng  (of) yesterday at saka (and) Monday, we are somehow comfortable na kaya pa natin i-push ‘yung pagbabakuna (that we could still push vaccination) with more than one million doses po,” she continued.

The government is targeting to give 7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses during the Bayanihan, Bakunahan II and to fully immunize 54 million individuals by year-end.

To date, 45.2 million people in the country are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Rosario.

The following is the breakdown of the doses given per day during the ongoing Bayanihan, Bakunahan:

• 1,089,931 vaccine doses (December 15)
• 805,254 vaccine doses (December 16)
• 701,955 vaccine doses (December 17)
• 115,011 vaccine doses (December 18)
• 39,841 vaccine doses (December 19)
• 1,269,351 vaccine doses (December 20)
• 1,034,843 vaccine doses (December 21)

The first Bayanihan, Bakunahan was conducted from November 29 to December 1, with some areas extended until December 3.