Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) – A total of 1,279,233 Filipinos have so far received their COVID-19 vaccines since the government started to rollout the vaccination program in March, said vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. on Monday.
During President Rodrigo Duterte’s public address last night, Galvez reported that 965,960 healthcare workers were inoculated with the first dose of vaccine. Meanwhile, 132,948 senior citizens and 180,315 people with comorbidities were also vaccinated against COVID-19.
He added that at least 198,534 healthcare workers have received their second vaccine dose. This brings the total number of vaccine doses administered since March to 1,477,757.
Galvez also said that the Philippines is currently ranked third among Southeast Asian nations in terms of vaccine rollout.
President Duterte, on the other hand, lauded the governments efforts in the vaccination program.
Maganda ang record natin (We have a good record) despite unfounded criticisms, we expect it. The Philippines was able to get the upper berth of countries that are inoculated, said Duterte. Maganda ang record niyan (Thats a good record) and to think people are almost in a quandary where to get the next vaccination.
The only COVID-19 vaccines available in the country so far are the Chinese firm Sinovac and Britains AstraZeneca.
Galvez said the country is expected to secure at least 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines within April. He noted that starting this week, the national government will receive another batch of Sinovacs CoronaVac and its initial batch of Gamaleya Research Institutes Sputnik V from Russia.
The national government has already received its second batch of purchased doses from Sinovac last April 11.
Galvez also said that there might be a possible delivery of Pfizer vaccines by end-month through the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility.
