Covid vaccination goes up by 20% across K-P

The ongoing Covid-19 vaccination drive in the 22 districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has registered a 20 percent increase on the second day of the drive (February 2) but despite that it missed the target of inoculation.

Sources told The Express Tribune that two districts of Lakki Marwat and Charsadda achieved 90 per cent of their target while Peshawar and Torghar districts once again missed their targets by a huge margin. They are on the lowest side of the vaccination rate due to the resistance to vaccination in the rural hinterlands.

A report released by the K-P Health Department says that the drive started in the province on February 1 and 213,403 shots have been administrated of which 130,419 represented the first dose while the rest were second dose in the first two days. “Overall 37 per cent of the vaccination targets have been met,” said an official, adding that the target set for the first dose has been met by 34 per cent and the second dose by 43 per cent.

The drive will continue till February 14 in Lakki Marwat, Charsadda, Haripur, Mardan, Hangu, Nowshera, Buner, Malakand, Karak, Khyber, DI Khan, Tank, Swat, Swabi, Mohmand, Dir Lower, Abbotabad, Kohat, Bajaur, Bannu and Torghar districts.

The report also shows that in the province 17 year or below age group has been vaccinated with first dose by 28.84 per cent, 18 to 28 by 46.78 per cent, 30 to 39 by 69.24 per cent, 40 to 49 by 68.11 per cent, 50-59 by 73.75 per cent, 60 to 69 by 77.17 per cent, and 70 year old or above by 63.15 per cent.

As far as the Covid-19 vaccination’s first dose is concerned, Haripur has achieved 66 per cent of its target and Mardan 45 per cent. All other districts met less than 45 per cent of their set targets.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2022.