48pc eligible Pakistanis fully vaccinated against Covid: NCOC

Prize distributed among provincial, district teams for meeting vaccination targets

ISLAMABAD:

Almost 48 per cent of the country's eligible population has been administered vaccines against Covid-19, according to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

This was stated during a ceremony at the NCOC head office that was held on Monday to acknowledge the services of the provincial and district vaccination teams for achieving vaccination targets and making efforts to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the ceremony, shields and appreciation letters were given to those districts and provinces that achieved the target of vaccinating more than 60 per cent of the population and to those three remote districts that achieved maximum vaccination targets despite limited resources and difficult terrain.

The representatives of the districts included deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, chief executive officers, district health officers, district vaccination focal persons and data entry operators.

Over 48pc vaccinated

According to the statement, “Till December 31, 2021, the vaccination of 71.5 million individuals has been completed. Only in December 2021, the vaccination of around 21.5 million people has been ensured and the credit goes to the provinces.”

Addressing the prize distribution ceremony, NCOC head and Planning Minister Asad Umar advised people to follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) amid a rapid increase in Omicron cases across Pakistan.

The minister said the people who were not vaccinated so far must get vaccinated at their earliest, adding that the people aged 30 and above should get a booster dose if they got their second jab six months ago.

The minister also lauded the efforts of all ground workers, vaccination teams, NCOC, health workers and federal as well as provincial agencies for coordinated efforts that helped to make the campaign successful. He said that the campaign against coronavirus would be remembered because the whole nation made collective efforts to stop its spread.

Districts with the highest vaccination rate

The district teams which received appreciation certificates and shields include Jhelum, Mianwali, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Attock, Bhakkar, Sargodha, Lodhran, Karachi South and East, Chitral Lower and Upper, Mastung, Chaman, Lasbela, Harnai, Awaran, Surab, Naseerabad, Hunza, Ghizer, Mirpur, Tharparkar, Orakzai and Neelam.

The top three districts who achieved the target of vaccinating maximum population include Kalat (87%), Karachi South (82%), Islamabad (77%), while the three districts of the remote areas who achieved vaccination targets despite difficult terrain and limited resources include Orakzai (54%), Neelam (56%) and Tharparkar (51%).