The health department was reminded of the limited supplies of COVID-19 vaccines as it released a social media post encouraging Filipinos to get inoculated against COVID-19.
The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday shared an infographic stating that it has administered more than 10 million doses (a combination of first and second doses) of COVID-19 vaccines to Filipinos as of June 27.
“Tired of restrictions? Excited to catch up with family and friends? Let’s realize a COVID-protected world! Join the 10,065,414* who are making this happen! The vaccines are safe, effective, and free! Let’s RESBAKUNA and beat COVID-19!” part of its caption reads.
It has been removed from its main social media accounts but a copy of it is still posted on the page of DOH’s Central Visayas Center for Health Development as of Tuesday.
As of July 4, 6 p.m., the health agency has fully vaccinated 2,868,905 people.
The other 8 million are those who have received their first doses.
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The government plans to innoculate at least 58 million Filipinos for the country to reach herd immunity.
Meanwhile, those who saw the DOH’s post called out the agency and pointed out that the country’s COVID-19 vaccine supply is still limited.
“Until DOH and the government have enough vaccine to inoculate those willing to be vaccinated, then it remains to be a dream!!!” a Facebook user said in response to the agency’s caption.
“Hoping so, but here in our place, our LGU (local government unit), is like in a turtle pace of vaccination,” another online user wrote in the post’s comments section.
“Dagdagan niyo muna vaccines niyo bago kayo mag-post ng ganito,” a different Filipino commented.
“Make sure first that the supply chain of vaccines is sustainable. It has been 5 months and most of the LGUs across the country are still on categories A1-A3,” a social media user from Twitter wrote in response to DOH’s post.
In the government’s priority list for COVID-19 vaccination, category A1 refers to healthcare workers, A2 to senior citizens or the elderly and the A3 group as persons with comorbidities.
At least four LGUs in the capital region on Monday have reported they are either temporarily halting its COVID-19 vaccination drive or limiting its vaccination coverage due to the insufficient supply.
Malacañang said the government is expecting to receive an estimated one million AstraZeneca doses from Japan and a total of 170,000 additional Sputnik V doses from Russia this week.
The country has received around 17.46 million doses as of June 28, based on reported vaccine trackers.
Around 13.8 million of these have been distributed as of June 27 while 11.7 million were administered to Filipinos as of July 4.
