Over 700,000 Filipinos get Covid-19 jabs

OVER 700,000 Filipinos have already been inoculated with coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccines a month since the start of the vaccination rollout.

Dat a from the Department of Health (DOH) showed 738,913 Covid-19 vaccines already administered from March 1 to 30.

"The seven-day average of daily vaccinated individuals is 32,940," the agency said.

This includes 737,569 first doses and 1,344 second doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

"The National Capital Region has started administering the second dose for the healthcare worker vaccinees, thus maximizing protection for our healthcare workers," said the DOH.

It also noted that vaccination for senior citizens and persons with comorbidities has already began as ordered by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

"The recent arrival of additional doses in the country allows the government to expand vaccination to more priority groups, thereby protecting more people," it said.

Overall, there are already 2,525,600 Covid-19 vaccines received by the country since late February. This includes the vaccines from AstraZeneca and Sinovac.

Of the total, the DOH said 1,468,200 or 58 percent have already been deployed to the 2,596 government vaccination sites across the Philippines.

The National Capital Region (NCR) received the highest number of doses, with 461,070; followed by Calabarzon with 144,960; Central Luzon with 131,940; and Central Visayas with 117,960.

The NCR also has the highest number of vaccines administered, at 209,710; followed by Central Luzon with 82,376; Calabarzon with 72,253; and Central Visayas with 62,650.

(HDT/ SunStar Philippines)