DOH: 1.8 million Filipinos get anti-COVID shots during third nat’l vax drive

FILE PHOTO: A health worker prepares a dose of the BioNTech Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination for seafarers at a stadium in Manila on July 15, 2021. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — At least 1.8 million Filipinos received jabs against COVID-19 during the government’s third national vaccination campaign, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reported Tuesday.

Dubbed “Bayanihan, Bakunahan 3”, the inoculation drive was initially set from February 10-11 but was extended up to February 18.

“Isa pang magandang balita ang hatid ng kagawaran dahil nasa mahigit 1.8 million na na Pilipino ang nakatanggap ng kanilang bakuna dahil po sa ating Bayanihan, Bakunahan 3,” she said during a Palace press briefing.

(On more good news from the agency as more than 1.8 million Filipinos received their vaccines through the Bayanihan, Bakunahan 3.)

READ: Gov’t sets another vax drive on February 10-11

According to the Department of Health spokesperson, 337,717 people got their first doses, 758,582 received their second doses, 126,062 got their single-dose shots, and 655,914 received their booster dose during the third installment of the nationwide vaccination drive, which targets to inject five million anti-coronavirus vaccine doses.

“Umaasa po tayo na maaabot natin ang target na mabakunahan ang at least limang milyong Pilipino sa programang ito,” Vergeire said.

(We are hoping that we will reach the target vaccinees of at least five million Filipinos under this program.)

“Hindi po titigil ang ating gobyerno sa pagbabakuna sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa nang sa gayon ay mas marami pa tayong maprotektahan laban sa COVID-19,” she added.

(Our government will not stop vaccinating in different parts of the country so we can protect more individuals.)

Vergeire then renewed her call to the public to get their vaccines as this is the solution against the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ: Way out of COVID-19 pandemic is through vaccination, antiviral drugs – OCTA Research fellow

“Kaya muli, hinihikayat naman po natin ang bawat isa na magpabakuna dahil ang pagbabakuna ay ang ating best long-term solution laban dito sa pandemya,” she appealed.

(Again, we encourage everyone to get vaccinated because this is our best long-term solution in the fight against the pandemic.)

To date, 61 million of the 77 million target population in the country are already fully immunized against COVID-19. Meanwhile, 9 million have so far received their booster dose.

KGA