Pakistan reported its first confirmed case of SARS-COV-2, the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 infection, in February 2020. Subsequently, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) kicked off a countrywide vaccination campaign in February 2021 with an ambitious target to vaccinate 70 million of the eligible population.
Fast forward to 31 December 2021: NCOC successfully achieved this target that had previously seemed insurmountable.
Speaking in this regard, Federal Minister for Planning and NCOC’s Chief Asad Umar said that 70 million of the eligible population has been vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Breaking down the numbers, he revealed that Islamabad tops the chart with 77 percent of its eligible citizens fully vaccinated, followed by 51 percent in Punjab, 46 percent in Gilgit-Baltistan, 45 percent in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 42 percent in Balochistan, 41 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 37 percent in Sindh.
The federal government had procured vaccines worth Rs. 250 billion and distributed them equally among all the federating units. The minister added that the coordinated efforts of the federal and provincial governments under the NCOC have made vaccinations possible.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also lauded the NCOC, the federal government, and the provincial health departments for working tirelessly throughout the year to achieve the milestone.
