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May 11, 2021
ISLAMABAD: Top medical experts are unsure about the duration of the ongoing lethal third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit Pakistan.
“The severity of the wave will not recede unless there is herd immunity, which will be possible only if 60 to 70 percent of the population is either vaccinated or infected,” renowned pulmonologist Dr Shazli Manzoor explained to The News, sounding an alarm about the consequences of the fast spread of the virus.
He said that to achieve herd immunity, Pakistan will need to vaccinate 100-120 million people, which, given the prevailing pace of immunisation and availability of vaccines, will take years. “In reality, we may not be able to vaccinate such a huge number of people. The government also doesn’t aim to meet this target and has spoken of a smaller population to be inoculated at the end of the day.”