BEST PROTECTION. 2Lt. Anne Zairell Villabroza, a nurse, administers the Moderna Covid-19 booster shot to Mhontie Mentes at the Philippine Medical Association auditorium in Quezon City on March 10, 2022. The Philippines has achieved its target of fully vaccinating at least 70 million before the end of the Duterte administration. (PNA photo by Ben Briones) MANILA - Within 15 months after the National Vaccination Program was launched, the Philippine government achieved its target of fully vaccinating 70 million Filipinos against Covid-19. In the latest report of the National Vaccination Operations Center as of June 17, a total of 70,005,247 individuals, or 77.78 percent of the target population have completed their primary series. Of the total, 14,704,514 have availed of the first booster shot while 648,555 have the second booster dose. To date, only the elderly, medical front-liners, and immunocompromised adults (with cancer, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndro
Arrival of 2,400 doses of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, June 1, 2022 (Photo courtesy of MIAA) MANILA - The Philippines' ranking of No. 33 out of 121 nations in Nikkei Asia's Recovery Index report for May 2022 is a clear indication that the country is moving toward pandemic recovery and Filipinos adhere to minimum public health standards, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief implementer, said on Monday. In a statement, Galvez reported the ranking is based on infection management, vaccine rollout, and social mobility. The country was at the bottom half in September 2021. In the latest report, the Philippines outranked several developed countries, including Italy (34), Switzerland (38), Israel (44), Japan (53), United Kingdom (58), Canada (60), Australia (71), New Zealand (75), Singapore (79), United States (89), China (93), and Russia (111). Qatar, Cambodia, and the United Arab Emirates occupied the
DIGITAL AID. The Australian government, through the World Health Organization, donates 4,400 digital tablets and wireless keyboards to the Philippine government during a ceremonial handover at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Monday (June 6, 2022). The gadgets will aid geographically isolated areas to improve their Covid-19 information and management system. (Photo courtesy of NTF) MANILA - The Philippines on Monday received 4,400 computer tablets with wireless keyboards from the Australian government, donated through the World Health Organization (WHO), to help the country's Covid-19 information and management system. Dr. Graham Perry Harrison, officer-in-charge of WHO in the Philippines, said the devices will be distributed to local government units in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas that are still confronting challenges in data sharing, supply chain management, and inventory monitoring. "Modernizing the vaccine information syst
(PNA file photo by Perla Lena) MANILA-A total of 65,992,980 Filipinos are now fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) nationwide, with 12,075,001 eligible individuals having booster shots or additional protection, as of Friday. Based on the latest data from the National Covid-19 Vaccination dashboard, the Philippines has so far administered a total of 142,489,795 doses, with 71,241,203 jabs used as first doses, or 79.15 percent of the government's target vaccinees for population protection. Meanwhile, individuals who received the two primary vaccine series represent 73.32 percent of the 80 percent or 90,005,357 total population of Filipinos in the country. A total of 8,972,409 minors ages 12-17 years old are also fully protected against the disease and 2,126,651 belonging to the pediatric aged group 5-11 received at least one dose of reformulated Covid-19 vaccine, with 933,404 of them fully vaccinated. Also, a total of 6,609,619 senior citizens have completed their
SAFE DISTANCE.Workers queue for Covid-19 vaccines at the Teleperformance Center Ayala in Makati City on Tuesday (March 8, 2022). The event precedes the fourth national vaccination days on March 10 to 12 and underscores the government's drive to provide protection to front-liners and hasten the country's economic recovery.(PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.) MANILA - More innovative strategies are needed to further boost the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination output with the country's ongoing transition to the new normal, National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief implementer, Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr., said Wednesday. "With the declaration of Alert Level 1, we have been experiencing a saturation point in our vaccination centers with only the pediatric sector that dominates our vaccination sites," Galvez said in a news release. Galvez, also the vaccine czar, said most of the vaccination sites are now vacant with only a few people getting vaccinated. "So we wi