Pakistanis not registering for COVID-19 vaccine is the biggest problem, says health official

• Dr Nosheen Hamid says people are not getting themselves registered for the coronavirus vaccine jab.
  
• Says as of now, a little over 2mn people have gotten themselves registered.
• Hamid maintains that the government will launch a campaign that would encourage the masses to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
  

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Secretary on Health Dr Nosheen Hamid on Wednesday lamented that People are not getting themselves registered for the coronavirus vaccine jab despite the fact that registrations have been allowed up to the age of 50.

Speaking to media, the senior health official noted: "As of now, a little over 2mn people have gotten themselves registered [for the vaccine]. Out of these, 650,000 are healthcare workers."

Read more: China to donate 500,000 additional coronavirus vaccine doses to Pakistan

"The biggest problem right now is that Pakistanis are not registering for COVID-19," she said.

Hamid maintained that the government will initiate a campaign that would encourage the masses to get vaccinated against the contagious disease.

The health secretary confirmed that apart from the donated vaccine doses from China, Pakistan will also receive the shipment of coronavirus vaccine doses from China that the country has purchased. 

Meanwhile, Lady Health Workers have been hired in Islamabad to encourage the elderly for vaccination, according to the district health department.

As many as 100,000 people have registered themselves for the coronavirus vaccine in Islamabad including the health care workers.

The district health department said that out of the registered persons, 70,000 have been vaccinated.

Read more: Coronavirus vaccination centres in Punjab will operate in two shifts during Ramadan

About 90% of the registered persons over 60 years of age have been vaccinated, the department notified.

4,000 to 4,500 people are being vaccinated daily in Islamabad, the department added.

Mobile and camp vaccination is also launched for the elderly above the age of 80 years in Islamabad. This facility is for people living away from vaccination centres.