DM Monitoring
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan provided a single dose of the coronavirus vaccine to 1.59 million people Tuesday, crossing the one-and-a-half million mark for the first time. Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar revealed the figures Wednesday in a tweet, saying that both first dose and second dose vaccinations yesterday were the highest ever recorded in Pakistan, with 1 million 71 thousand and 519 people being provided the doses in total.
The minister said in a subsequent tweet that Pakistan had set a target to partially vaccinate 40% of the 18 plus population of 24 major cities of Pakistan. However, the NCOC chief said 20 of the major cities met the target while Hyderabad, Mardan, Nowshera and Quetta did not meet it.
He disclosed that 35% of Pakistan’s national adult population has received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. He proceeded to provide figures of various cities to back his claims.
The vaccination drive for people aged 17 years or above started today (September 1) as part of the government’s strategy to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Earlier, people who were 18 or older were being immunised against coronavirus in the country.
Last week, Umar, the head of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), and Dr. Faisal Sultan, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination, announced a slew of new steps and plans to combat COVID-19 cases.
They announced that 17-year-olds will be able to receive coronavirus vaccine shots from September. They also said Pakistan is preparing to offer inoculations to 15-year-olds and disclosed the government’s vaccine mandates for anybody intending to travel or attend school. The government will shortly begin an immunisation campaign for people aged 15 to 16 years, with a date to be announced soon, the two said, adding that residents with impaired immune systems aged 12 and up will also receive the COVID-19 shots.
