San Juan City met its target to vaccinate 70% of its entire population against COVID-19 with at least one jab each, adding it was the first in Metro Manila to do so, authorities said Monday.
It has given one dose of the vaccine to over 96,000 residents, exceeding its target population of 92,858 by 4%, Health Sec. Francisco Duque said. As of Monday, 29,313 people, or about 30% of its target population, have been fully vaccinated.
"I would like to inform everyone that as of yesterday, July 11, we have vaccinated 96,610 San Juanenos... Ang target po natin 70% ng ating population ngunit target lang po 'yan. Ang ating layunin ay bakunahan ang bawat San Juanenong kwalipikado base sa edad at base sa kalusugan," Mayor Francis Zamora said.
He said the city would also open its third vaccination site at V-Mall, which will help boost vaccinations in the city to 5,000 a day. With its opening, Zamora said it was on track to achieve herd immunity by end of August.
During the press conference, Zamora recalled the time when he was told that the first local transmission of COVID-19 in the country was recorded in San Juan. It was a patient who frequented the prayer hall at the Greenhills Shopping Center.
"Bagamat dito po sa San Juan nagsimula ang first local transmission ng COVID-19 sa Pilipinas, dito rin natin unang tatapusin ang COVID sa San Juan."
The mayor said those who are working in San Juan can also get vaccinated in the city. He also promised to aid other cities in their vaccination programs.
Instead of herd immunity, which means 70% of the population must be inoculated against COVID-19, the government is eyeing population protection as its year-end goal. This will entail jabbing residents of the so-called NCR Plus 8 -- Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna, Batangas, Cavite, Rizal, Cebu, and Davao.