The country's national vaccination program against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has slowed down due to the re-imposition of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other areas, and the rapid rise of cases nationwide.

Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., vaccine czar and chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19, made the assessment during a cabinet meeting with President Duterte on Monday night, Aug. 16.

Galvez explained that aside from vaccination, local government units (LGUs) were also attending to the distribution of cash assistance (ayuda) in ECQ areas while healthcare workers have to accommodate an increasing number of newly infected patients.

"Medyo bumababa po ang ating datos ngayon sa pagbabakuna dahil talaga pong ang ating mga LGUs ay kasalukuyang nag-aano po ng kanilang pandemic response at hati po ang effort ng ating mga healthcare workers sa tumataas na kaso ng COVID-19 (Our vaccination data slightly went down because our LGUs were to their pandemic response and the efforts of our healthcare workers were divided due to the rising COVId-19 cases)," Galvez said.

Data from the NTF showed that the vaccination output went down to 482,564 administered doses for the period Aug. 8 to 15 from 527,824 doses recorded from Aug. 1 to 7. This translates to a reduction of 45,260 doses in one week or around 6,466 doses in one day.

"Nagkaroon po tayo ng kaunting delay stringent quarantine control and lockdowns. Many LGUs were redirected po ang pandemic response lalo na po sa Metro Manila, nagbibigay rin po sila ng ayuda. So simultaneous po ‘yung pandemic response, vaccination at pagbibigay po ng ayuda at saka po pag-aano po ng mga tinatawag nating mga stringent border control. (We experienced a bit of delay stringent quarantine control and lockdowns. The pandemic response of many LGUs were redirected especially in Metro Manila where they distribute cash aid. So the pandemic response, vaccination, and cash aid distribution go simultaneously, and stringent border control is also being )," Galvez noted.

Still, the vaccination record for the past two weeks was commendable, according to Galvez, as the government reached nearly half of its target.

For the past 15 days, there were 7,326,831 administered doses which represented nearly 50 percent of the target 15 million inoculation by end August.

"We are very, very confident na ‘yong 15 million po na ‘to makakaya po natin (We are very, very confident that we can achieve the 15 million target)," the vaccine czar said.

In total, the country has already administered 27,806,881 doses as of Aug. 15.

More than 15.24 million Filipinos have received their first dose while 12.56 million have been fully vaccinated.