The government’s goal of inoculating 50 percent of the target population with Covid-19 vaccine first booster shots by the first 100 days of the Marcos administration is now deemed impossible, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

“Right now our booster doses is really at that 23 percent—it's 18 million. And pagtiningnan natin, talagang kahit first 100 days hindi tayo aabot ng 50 percent na sinabi natin (And if we look at it, we really cannot meet the 50 percent during the first 100 days),” said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire during a television interview on Thursday, Sept. 8.

Last July, the DOH said it is aiming to provide first booster shots to at least 23 million Filipinos in the first 100 days of Marcos administration or until Oct. 8 under the ‘PinasLakas’ campaign. This is in order to reach the 50 percent of those who are eligible to receive the first booster shot.

As of Sept. 1, the DOH said only 2,188,312 individuals out of the 23 million target have received their first booster shot under the PinasLakas campaign.

Despite this, the DOH is still determined to increase the booster shot uptake in the country.

One of their strategies is the conduct of special vaccination days this month, said Vergeire.

This will be held on Sept. 26 to 30 where all local government units, all agencies of government, private sector, and medical societies “will be mobilized,” said Vergeire.

“Kung nakaya natin dati, sana makaya din natin ngayon (If we were able to do it before, hopefully, we can do it again). So, hopefully we can improve the coverage and as I've said, we have already sought interventions coming from different national government agencies,” said Vergeire.

“I hope that our people are not waiting for cases to go up and that is their trigger for them to receive their boosters,” she added.