Gov’t targeting to fully vaccinate 90 million Pinoys —Galvez

The national government plans to fully vaccinate 90 million Filipinos against COVID-19 despite hurdles in speeding up vaccination, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Monday.

"Ang atin pong main objective ay mabakunahan ang 90 million na Filipino, sa bilang po na ito mayroon po tayong babakunahan na primary series sa 28 to 30 million na katao," said Galvez.

The Philippines has currently vaccinated 52 million Filipinos, the government said earlier Monday.

Galvez also said the national government still needs to purchase 70 million doses for boosters and 26 million doses of vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 years old.

The Philippines currently has 100 million doses stockpiled, Galvez said.

However, Galvez warned that the high rise of cases will affect their vaccination efforts.

"Biglang pagtaas ng kaso at infection, ay malaking balakid sa ating vaccination dahil focus ng health care workers at LGU at healthcare personnel ay pondohan ang ospital at karamihan din po sa kanila ay nasa quarantine," he said.

(The rapid rise in infections has become a big hindrance to the vaccination program because the focus of the health care workers and local governments is the hospitals, and many are also in quarantine.)

NTF adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa earlier said that vaccinations have slowed because some health workers at vaccination centers have been recalled to the hospitals amid the surge in COVID-19 cases, while others have come down with the virus themselves. — BM, GMA News