45.9M doses administered as Covid-19 vax delivery ramps up

MANILA – The continuing delivery of Covid-19 jabs resulted in a steady pace of the vaccination program nationwide.

Based on the National Covid-19 Vaccination dashboard as of Saturday, the Philippines has administered 45,950,753 doses nationwide, with 24,389,958 given as first shots and 21,560,795 second doses, including the single-shot Johnson & Johnson jab.

The average daily vaccination rate in the last seven weeks stood at 355,222 doses.

National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Friday during the arrival of 883,350 Pfizer vaccine doses that about 100 million doses are arriving within this month.

He urged local government units to expedite their vaccination drives and secure more ultra-cold storage facilities that can store highly sensitive vaccines requiring sub-zero temperatures such as Sputnik V, Pfizer, and Moderna.

The country’s Food and Drug Administration already approved the Emergency Use Authorization for the administration of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to children aged 12 to 17 years, probably by October 15.

The test run will be done for two weeks.

To date, the Philippines has received 75,597,140 doses, including 889,200 doses of Pfizer vaccines from the US through the COVAX Facility that arrived Saturday.

The COVAX Facility has so far provided 17, 840,230 doses to the Philippines.

Another 1,813,500 doses of the Pfizer jab will arrive early Sunday.

“On behalf of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and from the Filipino people, we thank you for compassion and generosity. This shipment is another testament that nothing is impossible if we put all our acts together to combat this pandemic,” Galvez said during Saturday’s arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.