Pakistan to vaccinate 40% population by August: Asad Umar

Pakistan has successfully vaccinated over 25 million people against the novel coronavirus, according to Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar.

“Total vaccinations carried out so far now exceed two and a half crores. The total number of people vaccinated has now crossed 2 crores,” he tweeted Sunday afternoon.

Total vaccinations carried out so far now exceed two and a half crores. Total number of people vaccinated has now crossed 2 crores. Further acceleration being planned for august. By end August all major cities target is to have at least 40% of eligible population vaccinated.

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) July 25, 2021

“Further acceleration is being planned for August. By the end of August, all major cities’ target is to have at least 40% of the eligible population vaccinated,” Umar added.

On Saturday, the NCOC chief said that Pakistan saw the least number of coronavirus-related deaths per million population in the South Asian region.

One hundred and two people per million lost their lives due to Covid-19 in the country. Umar warned that the risk is, however, not over yet. He advised people to follow SOPs and vaccinate.

In the last 24 hours, 2,819 new cases were reported across the country while 45 people lost their lives. The Delta variant is predominant in the recent spike, according to experts.

Delta variant

The Delta variant of the coronavirus, also known as the Indian variant, has spread to more than 70 countries. It was first detected in India in December 2020. It is highly transmissible and appears to be more severe.

The variant appears to cause severe symptoms such as:
• Stomach pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Hearing loss
• Joint pain

Other symptoms include skin rash, change in the colour of toes, sore throat, shortness of breath, as well as loss of smell, diarrhea, headache, and runny nose.

How to protect yourself

Vaccines aren’t a perfect defence. Some fully vaccinated people needed hospital treatment and died after catching the variant. This variant’s advantage over the Alpha one is its ability to partially evade the immune system in people who are already vaccinated.

The guidelines to avoid exposure to the new variant are the same:

• Sanitize hands more often
• Wear a mask
• Avoid public gatherings
• Get vaccinated as soon as possible
• Avoid meeting people with symptoms
• Avoid unnecessary travel