ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday that it expects to receive 2.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine on March 2, its first batch under the GAVI/WHO COVAX vaccine initiative, and will start giving doses to the over 60s.

The government has decided to start vaccination of people over 65 years of age in the first week of next month. Registration and inoculation of healthcare workers (HCWs), other than frontline workers, will start from February 22, the Dawn reported.

As Covid-19 cases seem to be under control even 18 days after the opening of educational institutions, the health authorities expect that the situation will further improve with the increase in temperature. However, some experts believe that the trend seems to be on natural decline.

Moreover, the health authorities have decided to focus on 15 to 20 cities that have become hub of coronavirus and gradually expand the process of vaccination across the country.

An official at the National Institute of Health (NIH), requesting anonymity, said it was feared that the number of cases will increase after the opening of educational institutions, but the situation was under control even after 18 days.

Pakistan, which has recorded more than 550,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 12,000 deaths, is still largely reliant on the GAVI/WHO COVAX initiative, which aims to supply COVID-19 vaccines to poorer nations. The country began its COVID-19 vaccination programme only this month, with 500,000 doses of Sinopharm's vaccine donated by long-time ally China.

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