The Pakistan capital is leading the country in vaccinating its population against COVID-19, with health ministry data up to Sept. 30 showing more than 85 percent of people in Islamabad had received the first dose and 47 percent were fully vaccinated.
This compared to only 15 percent of the target group in the country’s least populous province of Balochistan having been administered one jab, the data showed.
The Pakistan government launched a national vaccination drive in February this year, prioritizing health care workers and elderly citizens before broadening the campaign. Now in the fourth wave of the pandemic, Pakistani officials say that a ramped-up vaccination campaign has helped to push down daily infection rates from a peak of more than 9 percent in August to less than 2 percent currently.
About 125 million of Pakistan’s 220 million total population is eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine. Among the eligible population, about 90 million have received at least one dose since February, health ministry data shows.
This compared to only 15 percent of the target group in the country’s least populous province of Balochistan having been administered one jab, the data showed.
The Pakistan government launched a national vaccination drive in February this year, prioritizing health care workers and elderly citizens before broadening the campaign. Now in the fourth wave of the pandemic, Pakistani officials say that a ramped-up vaccination campaign has helped to push down daily infection rates from a peak of more than 9 percent in August to less than 2 percent currently.
About 125 million of Pakistan’s 220 million total population is eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine. Among the eligible population, about 90 million have received at least one dose since February, health ministry data shows.
