Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 9) — The government is targeting to fully vaccinate 90% of the Philippines’ population before President Rodrigo Duterte steps down in 2022, a top Health department official said Friday.
Amid the Delta variant-driven surge in September, the government increased the herd immunity target to 90% from 70%.
The DOH official is also confident that about 54 million Filipinos will be fully protected against the virus by yearend, with his optimism riding on a “historic” feat during the national vaccination drive.
During the mass vaccination last week, the government was able to administer over 10.2 million COVID-19 doses.
“This is unprecedented. With almost 10 million jabs, this is historic. Never been done before in the history of DOH,” the health chief said.
The second wave of the national immunization drive is scheduled for Dec. 15 to 17.
So far, 54 Filipinos have already received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, Duque said.
Meanwhile, about 6.5 million Filipinos belonging to the 12-17 age group have secured their COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said in the same event.
“The President’s marching order has been for us to inoculate no less than 90% of the Philippine population, which is equivalent to about 99 million Filipinos before the end of the administration of President Duterte,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said during the Bayanihan Bakunahan in SM Megamall.
