Duque: Gov’t eyes 77 million fully vaxxed vs COVID-19 by Q1 2022

The mass vaccination of 12 t0 17-year-old children continues in Olongapo City as it aims to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19. (Photo courtesy of Olongapo City Information Center)

MANILA, Philippines — The national government is aiming to fully vaccinate 77 million people against COVID-19 by the first quarter of 2022, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Thursday.

The government is currently aiming to complete the doses of 54 million individuals before the year ends and Duque said he is confident this can be achieved.

“Sana ito will pave the way for us to achieve the second milestone, which hopefully we will be able to accomplish in the early first quarter of next year and that is reaching 77 million Filipinos with completed jabs all over the country,” he said in an awarding ceremony in Mandaluyong City.

Ultimately, the administration aims to inoculate 90% of the Philippine population or about 99 million Filipinos before President Rodrigo Duterte steps down in June 2022.

“The third milestone is for us to inoculate no less than 90% of the Philippine population which is equivalent to about 99 million before the end of the administration of Pres Rodrigo Duterte,” Duque said.

So far, 39.7 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 while 56.64 million have received at least one dose.

The government was able to inoculate about 10.2 million Filipinos during the massive COVID-19 vaccination drive held from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3.

It is set to conduct a second round of the vaccination drive on Dec. 15 to 17, with the aim to complete the COVID-19 vaccine doses of seven million Filipinos.

/MUF