MANILA — More than 27 million people in the Philippines have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the government said on Tuesday, eight months since the inoculation program kicked off in the country.

The number represents around 35 percent of the government's target of up to 77.1 million people for complete vaccination to be able to achieve herd immunity against the disease.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said at least 27,360,873 million people have completed their vaccination.

Data monitored by the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research group, as of Nov. 1, showed, however, a slightly higher figure of 27,442,662, or 35.58 percent of the government's 77,139,058 high-end target.

Authorities have so far administered some 59.3 million COVID-19 shots, including around 31.9 million first jabs, all over the country, Cabotaje said in a televised public briefing.

The ABS-CBN IRG's latest report indicated slightly higher figures, though, at 59.4 million for total administered doses, and 32 million for first doses.

In Metro Manila, the epicenter of the outbreak, at least 8.5 million people or 87.78 percent of the target population have completed their COVID-19 vaccination, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said in a separate press briefing.

"Hopefully, November, December, makakamit na natin iyong napakataas, almost 100 percent ng ating target ay maa-achieve dito sa NCR," said Cabotaje, who chairs the National Vaccination Operations Center.

(Hopefully, by November or December, we will achieve a very high output, almost 100 percent of target here in NCR.)

Metro Manila is home to nearly 13.5 million people and accounts for about a third of the country's GDP.

"For the rest of the country, we are looking at first quarter of next year para ma-fully vaccinate iyong (to fully vaccinate the) rest of the population all over the Philippines," Cabotaje said.

Cabotaje previously said that only at least 50 percent of the country's 110 million people may be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of the year, which is the lower threshold of the government's target.

The high-end target of 70 percent of the population may be achieved only in the first quarter of next year, she said.

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Cabotaje said almost 100 percent of health workers, the top priority group, have been immunized.

However, only 57 percent of senior citizens, the second priority group, have completed their vaccination, she said.

"Kailangan nating i-push iyong ating A2 [na magpabakuna]," said the official, echoing the call of the World Health Organization.

(We need to push our A2 to get vaccinated.)

Authorities eye vaccinating at least 1 million people a day. In the last several days, around 500,000 jabs were given daily, but ths dropped to around 100,000 to 200,000 around the All Saints' Day holiday on Nov. 1 and the day prior, Cabotaje said.

"We need to work double time. Kaya kailangan natin all hands on deck. Kailangan tulong-tulong tayo lahat para ma-meet iyong 1 million [jabs per day]," she said.

(We need all hands on deck. We need to help each other to meet the target 1 million jabs per day.)

The Philippines has received a total of 106.2 million coronavirus vaccine doses, of which 86.4 million have been deployed, Cabotaje said.

"Sa dami po ng supply... wala na pong dahilan na hindi tayo mabakunahan," Roque said.

(With so much supply, there is no longer any reason for us not to get vaccinated.)

The government announced last month a nationwide raffle of P3 million worth of prizes for those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine.

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Different kinds of incentives for those who get COVID-19 shots have been offered as well in several localities in the country and in many parts of the world amid vaccine hesitancy among some members of the population.

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The widening coverage of the vaccination program in the country, which started March 1, has been cited by the OCTA research group as one of the reasons coronavirus infections has been declining.

The Philippines has recorded a total of 2,790,375 confirmed COVID-19 cases, as of Monday, of which 43,185 or 1.5 percent were active.

Video courtesy of PTV