TWENTY months since coronavirus disease (Covid-19) first emerged in China, it is now affecting over 210 countries and territories with deadly consequences. But global vaccinations are now seeking to blunt its edge.
As of Sept. 10, 2021, about 5.66 billion doses of a Covid-19 vaccine have been administered, translating to 41.7 percent of the world population having received at least one dose, according to Our World in Data, citing official numbers from governments worldwide.
In its list of 214 countries and territories, however, the Philippines ranked a very low 142nd in Covid-19 vaccinations per 100 people at just 33.97 doses administered per 100 people.
This is less than half the world average of 71.92 vaccine doses administered per 100 people.
Gibraltar came out as the most vaccinated country or territory with 234.56 doses administered per 100 people, followed by Seychelles with 211.64 doses, and Pitcairn with 200 doses per 100 people.
Since some Covid-19 vaccines require multiple doses, a person may receive more than one dose. This is why the number of doses per 100 people can be higher than 100, Our World in Data said.
Rounding out the top 10 were the United Arab Emirates (188.18 doses per 100 people), Uruguay (169.79 doses), Israel (163.42 doses), Chile (156.47 doses), Malta (156.24 doses), Qatar (156.16 doses) and Iceland (155.93 doses).
China, the most populous nation on earth with 1.44 billion residents, placed 19th with 147.85 doses administered per 100 people.
Southeast Asia
Among the 10 Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines also belonged in the bottom half of the pile, placing eighth.
Singapore, which placed 12th worldwide, led the group with 152.23 doses administered per 100 people.
Rounding out the top three in Southeast Asia were Cambodia with 121.29 doses and Malaysia with 115.94 doses administered per 100 people.
The top three in Southeast Asia fared better than the United States which, despite its wide availability of vaccines, managed to administer just 112.56 doses per 100 people due to the presence of rabid anti-vaxxers. This placed the US at 62nd place.
Some 224.80 million people have been infected with Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, as of Sept. 11, 2021, according to Worldometer, citing data from health ministries and other government authorities. Of these, 4.63 million have died.
On Saturday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said that as of Sept. 9, a total of 37,728,114 doses of Covid-19 vaccines had been administered in the Philippines, according to the National Vaccination Operations Center.
He said this brought the number of fully vaccinated individuals in the country to 16,138,934. (CTL)