BY GERARD NAVAL and JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR
ALMOST a million individuals were inoculated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Wednesday, the start of the second phase of the “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” national vaccination program, the Department of Health said yesterday.
All regions in the country participated, including those threatened or affected by typhoon “Odette” which is hitting parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.
“Day 1 saw 953,624 people getting vaccinated,” Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said in a briefing. “That’s 83.7% reporting. The concentration of the vaccination activities is in the National Capital Region, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), 4A (Calabarzon).”
She said the numbers did not come only from the six regions but also from the 11 other regions where the vaccination drive was rescheduled to next week Cabotaje said the 11 regions pushed through with the vaccination because “they have already prepared.”
DOH data showed the regions with the highest number of doses administered are Calabarzon (187,588), Central Luzon (168,896), and Ilocos (66,393).
Among those that were supposed to have their activities postponed, the regions with the highest number of jabs administered are Western Visayas (59,966), Bicol (51,839), and BARMM (50,742).
The vaccination drive was originally set for December 15 to 17 in the Cordillera Administrative Region, National Capital Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon; and December 20 to 22 in Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and BARMM.
Cabotaje reiterated the government is confident of reaching the 7-million target vaccination at the end of Phase 2.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, at the Bayanihan, Bakunahan ceremonies at the Subic Municipal Gymnasium in Zambales, reiterated the government’s target is to fully vaccinate 54 million people by the end of the year, 77 million by the end of first quarter of 2022, and 90 million by the end of the second quarter of 2022.
He also said the Vaccine Expert Panel of the Department of Science and Technology is set to recommend a three-month interval between the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and the booster shot.
She said the information came from panel head Dr. Nina Gloriani who said her group is preparing to make the recommendation to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“She told me they will officially recommend a three-month interval between the second dose and the booster dose. What used to be six months, can be three to four months interval between the second and booster dose,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.
He said this will apply to all COVID-19 vaccine brands approved for use as a booster shot.
The government is currently administering booster to those who have been fully vaccinated six months ago, or between March to June, with Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Sputnik V and Sinopharm, and three months ago with the single-shot Janssen shot.
The brands being used for booster are Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca which can be given administered to those who received the same brand (homologous) or different brand (heterologous) as their primary vaccines. Sinovac is given as a booster shot only to those who received the same brand as their first and second doses.
The government, as of December 15, has administered 932,197 booster shots.
National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) chief Carlito Galvez Jr. assured the public the government has enough vaccine supply for primary and booster shots.
He said there are more than 80 million doses of vaccines in storage and at least 30 million doses are still expected to be delivered this month, both government- and private sector-bought vaccines and donations from different countries and through the COVAX Facility.
The country has received 177.447 million doses of vaccines. The country is expecting the delivery of 556,500 doses of government-procured Pfizer vaccines on Thursday night, which will increase the total to about 178 million doses.
The country has so far administered 99.139 million doses of vaccines nationwide.
NTF deputy implementer Vince Dizon, during the same event, said the government expects to administered the 100th million first dose within the day.
