Vaccination, the way out

Applying the principle of reward for good conduct and punishment for bad behaviour, the National Command and Operation Centre has eased the coronavirus pandemic-linked restrictions in cities and areas with high rate of vaccination and tightened the existing curbs where the percentage of vaccination is unsatisfactory. This method is aimed at exhorting people to get vaccinated against the dreaded coronavirus disease.

The NCOC on Thursday announced easing of curbs wrought by the Covid-19 in Quetta, Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murmur, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit and Skardu. On the same day, the Sindh government relaxed some of the curbs in Karachi like allowing a gathering of 200 people in wedding halls and other indoor premises and 400 persons at outdoor venues. Relaxations have come in the wake of the declining trend of the pandemic in most parts of the country, as a result of the stepped-up vaccination drive. So far more than 27.4 million people have received the prescribed two doses of the coronavirus vaccine. On Thursday, most deaths caused by Covid-19 occurred in Punjab and K-P.

New curbs have come into effect from Oct 1. Now the unvaccinated will not be allowed domestic and international travel, they cannot enter or work at shopping malls and won’t be allowed to enter educational institutions.

The only way to defeat the coronavirus pandemic is to get a vast majority of people vaccinated, as also insisted on by NCOC chief Asad Umar. This is borne out by experience in countries around the world. However, concerned citizens have been left wondering why the government is not informing people about the side effects of the coronavirus vaccines, even though some recipients of the vaccines have experienced side effects. This is emboldening those engaged in anti-vaccine propaganda. The authorities should also be focused on countering the anti-vaxxers. Moreover, it needs to be ensured that in the rush to achieve the given target of vaccination, officials don’t make bogus entries.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2021.

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