The government will keep its goal to achieve population protection before this year ends, National ask Force (NTF) against Covid-19 deputy chief implementer, Secretary Vince Dizon, said on Wednesday.

Dizon, also the country’s testing czar, said there is still no change of plan on the target timeline for population protection as long as the country continues to receive Covid-19 vaccines from different pharmaceutical companies.

“We are not changing our target yet kasi nga alam natin na basta merong bakuna kaya nating maabot yan (because we know that as long as we have vaccines, we can achieve that),” Dizon said in a media briefing at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

Citing that population protection is still achievable by the end of the year, Dizon, however, said it will still depend on the vaccine supply.

To date, the Philippines has received 21,779,910 total anti-Covid-19 vaccine doses, of which 13,817,358 doses have been administered to healthcare workers, senior citizens, persons with co-morbidities, economic workers, and indigents, across the country.

Of the number, 9,932,127 Filipinos have received their first shots of Covid-19 vaccines, while 3,885,896 were fully vaccinated.

In Mandaluyong, Mayor Carmelita Abalos said the city has already vaccinated 319,073 residents, equivalent to about 60 percent of its target population for the vaccination program.

“Pagka tuluy-tuloy ang supply ng bakuna sa amin ang target namin ngayon August matatapos namin yan (If the supply of vaccine continues to pour in here, we are targeting to complete that this August),” she said.

Abalos said the city government is ramping up its efforts to address vaccine hesitancy.

She added they have been going house-to-house to explain the importance of getting vaccinated with anti-Covid jabs.

Abalos said the city aims to inoculate all senior citizens by the end of this month. (PNA)