MANILA, (PIA) -- Some 70% of teaching and non-teaching personnel nationwide have been vaccinated against Covid19, an official of the Department of Education said.

DepEd plans to inoculate some 1.2 million teachers and support personnel nationwide.

“Our vaccination rate is now at 67 percent as of October 19. With that rate, we expect that by November the vaccination rate in DepEd will reach more than 80 percent,” Lope Santos III, DepEd’s Bureau of Learner Support Services director, said.

Data from the department showed that 627,778 personnel have been vaccinated.

Of this number, 158,504 received the first dose and 469, 274 have completed their second dose.

This leaves 34.13 percent or 318,205 unvaccinated.

Santos noted that 215,966 have registered for Covid19 jabs, while 102, 239 are still unregistered.

“Among the top reasons of those who are refusing vaccination include generic health reasons or conditions, pregnancy, allergies, fear of adverse effects, ongoing medication or vaccination and religious beliefs,” he said.

Santos expects more personnel to get jabs during the National Vaccination Day from Nov. 29 to December 1. (PIA-NCR)