There is no doubt that the government’s vaccination programme has proved to be quite effective in controlling the spread of the deadly coronavirus, however, now, the shortage of vaccine has created an obstacle, which will surely affect the vaccination targets.
After hitting the 130,000 mark for doses earlier this week, vaccine centres across the country on Thursday inoculated only 55,728 people, which includes 46,113 individuals who received their second shots. Less than 10,000 received their first jab that day.
Some vaccination centres are temporarily closed. At other centres, many people, who were eligible for the second dose, went back since the centres didn’t have the doses of the specific vaccine. On the other hand, many people haven’t been able to receive the first dose of the vaccine.
It is a pity that Pakistan has administered only 12.7m doses in total, with just over 3 million people fully vaccinated. With a target vaccine population of 70 million, the total doses required are 140 million — a figure that means that the road ahead for COVID-19 inoculation will be a long one with several challenges.
Many developing countries were dealt a blow when Covax vaccine delivery grounded to a halt earlier in the year, and most are still struggling to secure supplies as manufacturers fulfill commitments to richer countries that were the first to place orders and pay for them.
As the priority is given to the people requiring second dose, the non-availability of vaccine caused panic among people arriving for their first dose. However, the good news is that vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan has become low and people, on a large scale, are getting vaccinated against the deadly virus.
A war of words over the government’s vaccination strategy has also ensued. Ruling lawmakers have been criticized for choosing wrong approach with regard to procuring vaccines.
The risk to Pakistan or any country where the vaccination rates remain low is that there will be chances of a resurgence and the resurgences will impact our businesses and our health.
As the government approaches creditors and suppliers, it must ensure transparency in vaccine delivery and timelines so that people do not find themselves groping in the dark. The incumbent government must ensure the uninterrupted supply of imported and locally produced vaccines. It should realise that now more and more people are keen to get vaccinated to save their precious lives.
