A senior citizen receives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in northwest Pakistan's Peshawar, March 10, 2021. (Photo by Saeed Ahmad/Xinhua)
Pakistan began vaccinating its people aged 60 years and over against COVID-19.
ISLAMABAD, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Wednesday began vaccinating its people aged 60 years and over against COVID-19, according to Special Assistant to the Pakistani Prime Minister on Health Faisal Sultan.
The group of elderly people have been planned to receive the vaccine in the second phase of a nationwide vaccination drive, Sultan told Xinhua.
A senior citizen receives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in southern Pakistani port city of Karachi, March 10, 2021. (Str/Xinhua)
Pakistan started its COVID-19 vaccination drive in February after the arrival of China-gifted vaccine doses, with the frontline health workers given the priority for inoculation.
Last week, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan further approved the emergency use of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for people over 60 years of age.
Senior citizens wait to receive COVID-19 vaccines at a vaccination center in northwest Pakistan's Peshawar, March 10, 2021. (Photo by Saeed Ahmad/Xinhua)
Pakistan began inoculating the elderly at a time when daily new COVID-19 cases have been on the rise since it eased coronavirus restrictions late last month.
Pakistan reported 1,786 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 43 more deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing its total tally to 595,239 with 13,324 deaths, according to data released by the health ministry on Wednesday. ■
