PH vaccination program reaches 35.8-M mark

MANILA – A total of 35,838,964 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered nationwide as of Sept. 5, the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF) reported.

A total of 15,033,354 have already completed two doses while 20,805,610 have the initial dose, according to the NTF report on Tuesday.

The total doses administered in the 27th week of the national vaccination program reached 2,739,572 while the average daily jab accomplishment in the last seven days stood at 391,367 doses.

The Philippines’ jabs stockpile is already at 52,792,130 doses.

The government targets to vaccinate 70 percent of the eligible adult population or 77,139,058 Filipinos out of the country’s 110,198,654 total population.

The government is also looking at pediatric vaccination and booster shots once population protection is achieved.

Vaccine czar and NTF chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. previously pointed out that the World Health Organization has not yet recommended the use of booster shots in the Philippines.

Local experts are also assessing the feasibility of administering them.

“But once they give us the cue that boosters are needed, we will process and arrange the procurement,” Galvez said in a previous interview.