By Benjamin Pulta / Philippine News Agency
An official of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 on Thursday (Dec. 2) urged unvaccinated Filipinos to be inoculated against COVID-19 in the next National Vaccination Days from Dec. 15 to 17.
Assistant Sec. Wilben Mayor, NTF head of strategic communications on current operations, made this call as he welcomed the arrival of the government-procured 1,082,250 doses of Pfizer vaccine at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
“Nanawagan kami na sa darating po muli na 15th ,16th, and 17th of December, mayroon po uli tayo na vaccination days, kaya hinihikayat po nating muli ang ating mga kababayan na hindi pa nagpapabakuna na pumunta sa kani-kanilang mga local government units,” he said in a media interview.
He said 7.6 million doses were administered during the first national vaccination drive dubbed Bayanihan, Bakunahan from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1.
The Philippines is now ranked fourth among countries worldwide that have the highest number of COVID-19 vaccines administered in a single day after dispensing 2.7 million jabs on Nov. 29, the Department of Health announced on Thursday.
The country follows China’s 22 million, India’s 10 million, and the United States’ 3.48 million doses. Brazil has 2.6 million doses.
Mayor said the latest shipment of Pfizer vaccines increased the country’s stockpile to 146.4 million doses.
U.S. Embassy Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer Jennifer Goldstein said it is extremely important that the Philippines has multiple sources of COVID-19 vaccines.
“We are so very pleased that the Philippine government has procured these vaccines from American pharmaceutical companies,” Goldstein told the media.
The Philippines has administered 89,070,292 doses of COVID-19 vaccine nationwide, with 51,811,422 doses used as a first shot while 36,869,419 Filipinos are fully protected against the disease and 389,41 vulnerable individuals have received their booster shots and additional doses.
The average vaccination rate in the last seven days has increased to 1,505,991 doses. (PNA) – jlo
