The Philippines has administered 4,305,575 COVID-19 vaccines as of Tuesday (May 24), data from the government showed.
Based on the report of National Action Plan Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon, 3,318,646 individuals have been given their first dose and 986,929 of them have received their second shot.
The highest number of vaccines administered within a day also reached 236,244, while the daily average as of the twelfth week of inoculation is 166,000.
The country has 8,279,050 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to date.
Dizon said the target daily administered doses of 500,000 is “very achievable,” especially with the arrival of vaccine shipments in the coming months.
Dizon said President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the expansion of vaccination priority groups, which will include essential workers and the indigent population who will be inoculated beginning next month. The guideline has yet to be released.
Dizon and Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque urged priority individuals to get vaccinated, saying that the best jab is the available vaccine.
“Kung hinintay pa natin ang pagdating ng Pfizer, hindi tayo makakapagbakuna ng 4.3 million na nagawa na natin ngayon,” Roque said.
“Ang binigyan lang natin ng pagkakataong mamili [ng bakuna] ay mga health frontliners natin. Lahat ng mamayan, pwede kayong turukan ng bakunang available. Kung mamimili tayo, pwede naman. Kaya lang, maghihintay tayo sa hulihan,” he added.
Meanwhile, the public address of President Duterte will take place on Wednesday, May 26. – Report from Mela Lesmoras/AG-rir
