San Juan surpasses vaccination target

MANILA, Philippines — The San Juan government has surpassed its COVID-19 vaccination target.

As of yesterday, the city government has administered the first dose of COVID vaccines to 96,610 peoeple or about 72.90 percent of its 132,512 population.

Of the number, 67,297 people received their first dose while 29,313 were fully vaccinated.

San Juan has surpassed by nearly three percent the target of 92,858 vaccinated individuals to achieve herd immunity from the virus.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque lauded San Juan’s vaccination program.

The local government opened its third inoculation site at the V-Mall to increase the city’s vaccination capacity from 4,000 to 5,000 per day.

Mayor Francis Zamora said they aim to achieve herd immunity by the end of August.

4 COVID-19 shots  for Rep. Zamora

Meanwhile, the mayor’s father, San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora admitted that he received two doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccines last December and two jabs developed by Pfizer as booster shots against COVID-19.

“Kung nagtataka kayo bakit si Congressman Zamora ay hindi nagma-mask, sasabihin ko sa inyo. I have been vaccinated twice over so apat,” he said.

Zamora, 76, said he completed his doses of what he suspected was a “bootleg” brand of the Sinopharm vaccine that was also given to President Duterte.

Apart from completing his doses of Sinopharm jabs, the elder Zamora said he got two booster shots of Pfizer vaccine upon the recommendation of his doctor. He did not say where he got the Sinopharm vaccine.

“I got Pfizer booster shots about two months ago,” Zamora said, adding that he did not suffer any adverse effects.

The national government is still studying the use of COVID-19 vaccines as booster shots. To date, persons inoculated with two jabs are considered fully vaccinated.

Zamora defended his decision to have booster shots given his age and medical condition. He underwent a quadruple heart bypass and a kidney transplant.

“So severely immunocompromised ako,” he said.