Pakistan expands COVID-19 vaccination with door-to-door drive
55,000 mobile teams aim to vaccinate more than 35m people in next two weeks
Islamabad
Pakistan government on Tuesday launched a countrywide door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination drive amid the continued rise in daily cases driven by the infectious Omicron variant.
The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), which oversees the country’s pandemic response, has directed all provinces and regions to launch “Reach Every Door” vaccination campaign to vaccinate all eligible citizens above 12 years at their homes.
55,000 teams to vaccinate 35m
NCOC chief Asad Umar said that over 55,000 mobile teams will carry out door-to-door drives, offering both vaccines and booster shots to people.
The first phase of the campaign starting on February 1 would last for two weeks and is aimed at reaching more than 35 million people. “If you haven’t been vaccinated, then get yourself inoculated. If you have received both doses and it has been more than six months, then please get the booster dose,” he said.
PM’s aide on health affairs Dr Faisal Sultan requested the citizens to make the best of the home facility to protect themselves against the virus and severe health complications. “Only vaccine can protect you. I advise people to go for vaccination against the virus to avoid facing more complications and hospitalisation.” He also said that the only way to return to normal life was to get vaccinated against the deadly pandemic.
Pakistan reported 32 deaths and 5,327 infections in the last 24 hours. The number of active cases remained above 100,000 for the fourth consecutive day.
Pakistan has announced to extend limited COVID-19 restrictions till February 15 in cities where the coronavirus positivity rate is above 10 per cent. NCOC announced new curbs including a complete ban on indoor dining and weddings in COVID-19 hotspots.
Over one-third of Pakistan’s 220 million population is now fully vaccinated. Nearly 104 million have received at least one dose, according to NCOC data. Pakistan has also administered over 2.2 million COVID-19 booster shots nationwide.