Islamabad: Pakistan on Sunday reached the milestone of fully vaccinating 100 million of its citizens against coronavirus.
Minister Asad Umar, who heads the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), which oversees the pandemic response in the country, described it as “a major milestone” in Pakistan’s national vaccination programme.
As many as 100 million Pakistanis are now fully vaccinated and “more than 127 million have received at least one dose,” he said, adding that the country is “very close to achieving vaccination of all eligible citizens.”
Around 45 per cent of Pakistan’s 220 million population is now fully vaccinated. Nearly 58 per cent (127 million) have received at least one dose, according to NCOC data. Pakistan has also administered over 4.6 million COVID-19 booster shots nationwide.
The countrywide door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination drive launched by the Pakistan government in February 2022 had a crucial role in bringing down the number of daily infections. More than 55,000 mobile teams carried out door-to-door drives, offering both vaccines and booster shots to people. Health officials requested the citizens to get vaccinated against the virus to avoid facing more complications and hospitalisation, saying that it was the only way to return to normal life.
Pakistan reported 755 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths over the last 24 hours. The latest data shows a significant decrease in single-day infections and hospitalizations compared to the last week of January when the country was averaging nearly 7,000 cases a day fueled by the contagious Omicron variant of coronavirus.
Pakistan has eased several COVID-19 curbs and travel rules following a gradual decline in daily cases and deaths. The country has also removed mandatory PCR testing for fully vaccinated travellers arriving in Pakistan.
