Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Wednesday renewed his call for the government to ramp up its coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination program and increase its daily vaccination rate.

Drilon said he is concerned about the high percentage of people who do not return for their second dose of COVID-19 jab, saying this could undermine the country’s vaccination program.

“The government must ramp up its vaccination drive and increase its daily vaccination rate. Because, at the rate it is going now, I do not see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Drilon said.

“The government must remember that our economic recovery depends largely on our ability to inoculate at least 70 percent of our countrymen as effectively and as fast as we can,” he stressed.

Citing latest reports from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), the senator noted only 1,244,582 were able to complete the required two doses out of over 4,003,776 who got into the inoculation program.

The senator said this translates to roughly only 30 percent, leaving 70 percent who have yet to receive their second dose.

“The government needs to ensure that people return for their second dose. The IATF has to intensify its information drive and innovate in order to get people to complete their doses,” he pointed out.

Drilon also pointed out that only 20 percent of senior citizens and people with comorbidities were inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines since the rollout of the government’s vaccination program in March.

“How many of the 70 percent actually skipped their second vaccine dose? If we do not convince them to complete their doses, it will be detrimental to the success of our COVID-19 vaccination program. We will not achieve herd immunity at this rate,” he stressed.

Drilon further appealed to Filipinos: “Complete your vaccine. Don’t skip your second shot.”