Nearly one-fourth of Philippine health workers vaccinated vs COVID-19: official

MANILA — The Philippines has vaccinated nearly a quarter of its frontline health workers against the novel coronavirus, an official leading the inoculation strategy said on Tuesday, as the country battled a surge in infections. 

At least 408,995 medical frontliners have been vaccinated. They represent 24 percent of the country's around 1.7 million health workers, said Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19. 

The country so far has received 1,125,600 COVID-19 shots, including 600,000 China-donated shots from Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech, and 525,600 jabs of Britain's AstraZeneca vaccine secured with the help of the COVAX Facility. 

Authorities expect to receive 2.3 million more vaccine doses this March, said Galvez. 

These include 400,000 Sinovac shots which will be delivered on Wednesday, 979,200 COVAX jabs that may arrive between March 22 and 26, and another 1 million Sinovac doses on March 29, he added. 

The elderly, indigents, and vulnerable sectors who may develop severe COVID-19 symptoms are next in line to get jabs, the official earlier said. 

“Most likely ang makita natin sa massive vaccination natin, mangyayari ngayong May,” Galvez said last week. 

(Most likely, we'll see our massive vaccination in May.)

• Gov't eyes general public vaccination by April or May, COVID-19 'elimination' in 2022 

Battling a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Philippines this year aims to vaccinate 70 million people or two-thirds of its population against the respiratory disease.