Over 1M people in PH miss 2nd vaccine dose

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 2) — More than a million people have missed their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to a member of the Inter-Agency Task Force's sub-technical working group on data analytics.

Dr. John Wong said 3.1 million doses of the Sinovac and Gamaleya vaccines have been administered since the country's vaccination drive started on March 1.

Wong added that they expected about 2.1 million should have gotten their second dose of either the Sinovac or Gamaleya vaccine by now. The Sinovac and Gamaleya vaccines require two doses that need to be given about a month apart, he noted.

"Half of the people who have taken their first dose are missing out on their second dose, so we need to follow up on this," Wong told a town hall forum hosted by the Department of Health.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire urged Filipinos to be fully vaccinated.

"First dose is really not enough. Sinasabi na po ito ng ating mga eksperto (Our experts have been saying) that you need to get your second dose because it provides you with the maximum potential of the vaccine," she said in the same town hall.

The country now has over 8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, with the majority of the supply from China's Sinovac. Around 5.1 million have already been administered, mostly as first doses.