Coronavirus vaccination a must, says President Alvi

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday said Covid-19 vaccination is “a must” as the government sought to get ahead of vaccine scepticism in the country a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, came down with coronavirus.

In a tweet, he said it is given in two doses and takes a few weeks to become effective. He said in most cases it is “100 per cent effective” and in the remaining, the severity of infection is greatly reduced which increases the survival rate. The President warned: “Beware of those who create doubt, as they know nothing about it.”

The development comes as Pakistan continued to grapple with the third wave of the virus, as 3,667 people tested positive in the 24 hours leading to Sunday, and 44 people died of Covid-related complications. Active Covid cases jumped above the 30,000-mark once again in Pakistan, with 31,107 recorded as of Sunday.

Ventilators occupancy was the highest in Islamabad, at 53 per cent, followed by Multan 48 per cent, Lahore 40 per cent and Peshawar 32 per cent. A total of 626,802 cases have been detected so far and 13,843 have died.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife were feeling “comfortable with mild symptoms”, his assistant on political communication Shahbaz Gill said in a tweet. He thanked the Premier’s supporters and well-wishers for praying for his health. “The Prime Minister and Bushra Bibi are thankful to you all for your good wishes,” he said. Gill also said the Prime Minister would continue to perform his official duties via video conference.