Despite the huge challenge and distraction that was typhoon "Odette", the Philippines still managed to surpass its target for the second round of the national vaccination days (NVD) held from Dec. 15 to 23.
Cabinet Secretary and Acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles said that as of Dec. 26, a total of 7,497,802 doses of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine were administered during the second iteration of the NVD, exceeding the target of 7,326,613 jabs. Actual NVD 2 jabs were 102.34 percent over target.
"We thank our kababayans for their cooperation and for the steps they have taken to protect themselves, their families, and their communities," said Nograles, who is also co-chair of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, or IATF.
"We likewise commend our medical frontliners, vaccinators, and volunteers for their sacrifice, dedication and service to the country," he added.
The NVD is also dubbed the "Bayanihan, Bakunahan". The second phase of the event, which had an initial target of seven million jabs, was organically slated for three days only from Dec. 15 to 17..
Odette--the strongest typhoon to slam into the Philippines this year--made the first of its nine landfalls on Siargao on Thursday, Dec. 16. It caused extensive damage to various provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao.
After personally seeing the level of destructions in these areas, President Duterte placed six regions in the country under a state of calamity. The move helped facilitate the relief and rehabilitation efforts even as hundreds of thousands of Filipinos were displaced by the storm.
Nograles bared that Region IV-A recorded the highest number of cumulative jabs during the second round of NVD, logging in 1,244,191 jabs. It was followed by Region III with 919,822, and Region VI with 658,805 administered jabs.
Meanwhile, Region I recorded the highest percentage of jabs administered compared to its NVD 2 target, with 561,858 vaccines administered or 277.84 percent of its 202,224-vaccine target.
Region II followed, achieving 232.57 percent of its target, while Region X accomplished 173.27 percent of its NVD 2 target.
The Palace official stressed that with the looming threat of the Omicron variant, "We must continue to be vigilant and alert by observing the minimum public health standards on top of getting vaccinated."
The first Bayanihan, Bakunahan event was held from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1.