COVID-19: Pakistan opens walk-in vaccination for people above 40 from May 12

• Asad Umar has announced that the walk-in vaccination facility for people above 40-years-old will be opened from May 12.
  
• He informs that vaccination centres are opened for this week and will only be closed for two days on account of Eid ul Fitr.
  
• The minister also points out the death rate among people under the age of 40 years has risen during the third wave.
  

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar has announced that the walk-in vaccination facility for people above 40-years-old will be opened from May 12 (tomorrow) onwards.

"Starting tomorrow the 12th of May all 40 plus who have registered will be able to walk into any vaccination centre of their choice and get vaccinated," the minister wrote on Twitter.

Read more: COVID-19: Pakistan’s death toll crosses 19,000 mark with 113 new fatalities

He also informed that vaccination centres are opened for this week and will only be closed for two days on account of Eid-ul-Fitr.

The minister, in a series of tweets, has also pointed out the death rate among people under the age of 40 years has risen during the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Pakistan. 

Earlier, it was 1% but has risen to 1.8%.

Delving into the details about the mortality rate as per various age groups, the federal minister explained that the death rate has risen by 3.8% among people aged between 41 to 50, 7.2% in those aged from 61 to 70 years, 11.1% for people aged between 71 to 80, and 15% for those over 80-years old.

Read more: Coronavirus vaccination centres to remain closed for two days on Eid ul Fitr

The minister noted that only 7% of the population of Pakistan is above 60 years of age and about 53% of deaths due to the virus occurred in that particular age group.

He went on to add that 77% of the population of the country is under 40 years of age and only 9% of deaths were reported in that age group.

Mortality rate rises with age

Moreover, the minister stressed that it is important that the vaccination is concentrated on the most vulnerable segments of the society.

He said that the risk of mortality due to COVID-19 rises sharply with age. 

"In Pakistan, the case fatality rate based on cumulative data this strong linkage in our country also reason why we are opening vaccination based on age in descending order is due to finite availability of vaccines globally, as well as vaccination capacity in the country," the minister underscored.

He then mentioned that both supplies of vaccines and vaccination capacity are continuously increasing with concerted efforts.