MANILA, Philippines — The number of fully-vaccinated Persons Deprived of Liberty in Bureau of Corrections facilities nationwide has risen to nearly 10,000, the latest data from the agency showed.
Of the 48,598 inmates under the bureau’s custody, 9,845 or 20.25% of the total PDL population are tagged as fully vaccinated as of November 19. Meanwhile, 25,266 PDLs are waiting for their second dose.
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At the New Bilibid Prison, the country’s national penitentiary, 1,382 PDLs or 4.85% of the total 28,516 inmates have completed their doses. There are also 20,752 inmates who are already partially vaccinated.
Vaccination has also started in six other facilities of BuCor.
The Correctional Institution of Women in Mandaluyong City still posted the highest vaccination rate with 3,100 out of 3,360 PDL population or 92.26% inoculated.
Vaccination has also finally started in Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan. There are 1,700 PDLs out of 2,729 who have received their first jab, while five inmates are said to be fully vaccinated.
At the Davao Prison and Penal Farm, 5,034 out of 7,139 PDLs have received vaccines against COVID-19. Of these, 2,220 have been fully vaccinated, while 2,814 received their first dose.
BuCor data also showed that 600 inmates out of 2,387 PDLs at the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm are fully vaccinated. There are also 1,716 out of 2,304 PDLs have completed their doses at the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm, putting vaccination rate in this facility at 74.48%.
Of the 2,163 PDLs in Leyte Regional Prison, 822 have been fully vaccinated, BuCor data showed.
PDLs inclusion in National Vaccination Days
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Monday said they would request for the inclusion of PDLs in the National Vaccination Days set on November 29 to December 1.
He said: "I understand that we have millions of doses available for this big event, so this is the opportune time to consider the health of our PDLs who are at risk of infection due to prison overcrowding.”
As of November 22, government data shows that the country has so far administered 76.522 million doses. Some 33.847million Filipinos have completed their doses against COVID-19 while 42.632 million others are waiting for their second jabs.
The government has also started rolling out booster shots for health workers and the elderly, and third doses for the immunocompromised.