MANILA – The Philippines’ total jab rate for the COVID-19 booster shot is improving, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

“Dati po nag-a-average lang tayo ng mga 50,000-60,000 per day. These past few days nag-a-average po tayo ng 180,000-190,000 per day and that’s a good indication,” Health Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire told TeleRadyo.

(We used to average 50,000-60,000 jabs a day. These past few days w ehave been at 180,000-190,000, and that's a good indication.)

“Kaya lang pag tiningnan ho natin at kinalap sa buong bansa, makikita natin na medyo mabagal pa rin , although nakikita natin very intensive ang efforts sa ground,” she added.

(But if we look at the numbers nationwide, that is still a bit slow, although we see intensive efforts on the ground.)

“Talagang ang ating mga kababayan lang talaga ang kailangan natin hikayatin because access is already there. Kailangan lang po talagang ma-encourage silang magpabakuna.”

(We just really need to convince our countrymen to get boosters because access is already there. We just need to encourage them to get the vaccine.)

Vergeire said government is keen on distributing first booster doses to those who need it before giving second boosters to more of the Filipino population.

“Tapusin muna natin itong first booster natin. Kailangan makumpleto natin yung first booster habang inaantay natin yung ebidensya na ang 2nd booster is effective also and is going to be of quality at makakaprotekta para sa ating rest of the population,” she said.

(Let us finish our first boosters first. We need to complete it while we await evidence that 2nd boosters are of good quality and really protect the rest of our population.)

As of August 11, some 1.3 million people have received their first COVID-19 booster shot under the government's "PinasLakas" campaign.

The PinasLakas campaign aimed to administer COVID-19 booster shots to 23 million eligible individuals within the first 100 days in office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

--TeleRadyo, 2 September 2022