The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday, July 12, reported that 96 percent of the country's frontline healthcare workers (A1 priority group) have already received their first dose of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.

"We are happy to announce that based on the masterlisted number... 96 percent have received the first dose while 72 percent received their second dose," DOH Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje during the Laging Handa forum.

For A2 priority group or senior citizens, she said, 31 percent have also received their first dose.

Cabotaje said so far a total of 13,196,282 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered by the government.

Of the total, 9.6 million were first doses while 3.5 million were second doses.

Data presented by Cabotaje showed that those who received their first doses were workers in frontline health services totaling 1,785,129; senior citizens, 2,655,403; individuals with comorbidity, 3,232,278; frontline personnel in essential sector, 1,689,680 and indigenous population, 307,450.

As for the number of those who completed their second doses, the breakdown is as follows: 1,208,667 workers in frontline health services; 915,593 senior citizens; 1,140,537 individuals with comorbidity; 191,851 frontline personnel in essential sector and 69,694 members of indigenous groups.

Meanwhile, in an event in San Juan City, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III explained the importance of receiving the second dose.

"Its important to complete the second dose of your vaccine in order to achieve herd immunity," he said.

Duque also lauded the local government unit of San Juan for their performance in vaccination.

"The performance of San Juan LGU is 104 percent because their target was 92,858 but those given first dose reached 96,610," he said.