By Lade Jean Kabagani | Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Vaccination is the key to the exit of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, an official of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 said Wednesday (Jan. 26) night.
Head of the NTF Strategic Communications sub-task group on current operations, Assistant Secretary Wilben Mayor, urged anew unvaccinated Filipinos to avail of COVID-19 jabs to get enough protection against the dreaded disease.
“Muli ang panghihikayat ng pamahalaan, ang bakuna po ang sagot para malabanan po natin at tayo po ay makaalis – maka-exit tayo sa pandemyang ito (Once again, the government is encouraging you, the vaccine is the answer so we can fight and get out – exit this pandemic),” Mayor said shortly after the arrival of 1,023,750 doses of Pfizer vaccine at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 via an Air Hong Kong cargo flight.
The latest shipment is part of the government-procured jabs with funding from the World Bank.
The Philippines has so far received 216.5 million doses of different COVID-19 vaccines, both procured and donated, from various pharmaceutical companies, with 124,510,385 doses already administered nationwide.
At least 57.8 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated and 6,683,975 eligible individuals have received booster shots.
The government has urged those with complete shots to avail of booster shots for added protection.
Mayor likewise reiterated that all COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective against severe and critical symptoms of the disease and help prevent the hospitalization of coronavirus patients.
As of Wednesday, the Philippines has recorded 3,475,293 COVID-19 cases, with 3,191,219 recoveries, 230,410 active infections, and 53,664 deaths. (PNA) -ag
