Pakistan launches massive anti-COVID vaccination drive after virus positivity ratio tops 10%

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government is set to launch a nationwide anti-COVID vaccination drive from February 1, officials said on Monday, after the virus positivity ratio jumped above 10 percent last week. 
The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), which oversees Pakistan’s pandemic response, has directed all federating units to launch “Reach Every Door” vaccination campaigns in their respective areas to inoculate the maximum eligible population. The campaign will run till February 27. 
The South Asian nation of 220 million is currently battling an omicron-driven fifth wave of COVID-19. The country reported 21 deaths and 7,048 new infections in the last 24 hours, with a positivity ratio of 11.53 percent. 
“The mass nationwide vaccination drive will help immunize maximum people against the virus as this is the only solution to fight the pandemic,” Dr. Mumtaz Ali Khan, a focal person at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad, told Arab News. 
He said the daily positivity ratio had declined in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad after reaching its peak. “But it’ll still take some time to see flattening of the curve.” 
Khan said hospitalization of coronavirus patients and daily deaths had not seen a spike with respect to the daily infections, owing to effective vaccination. 
“Vaccination of maximum population and implementation of health guidelines are helping Pakistan fight the virus,” he said. 
Pakistan has so far fully vaccinated over 80.7 million people and administered at least one vaccine dose to 104.2 million, according to official figures. The country has administered 174 million vaccines doses in total, including the booster shots, till date. 
Under the mass vaccination drive, the NCOC has tasked the Punjab authorities with vaccinating at least 17.3 million people next month to reach its target of 81 million fully vaccinated eligible individuals. 
“First phase of this campaign will be from Feb 1 to Feb 14 while the catch-up will be from Feb 15 to Feb 27 to reach the target,” Hammad Raza Bukhari, a spokesperson for the Punjab health department, told Arab News. 
Bukhari said Punjab was already leading other federating units with full vaccination of 60 percent eligible population, including those above 12 years of age. 
He said the province has administered at least one dose to 75 percent eligible individuals. “We are committed to meet our vaccination target of 17.3 million individuals during the drive.”