As the country expands its inoculation drive amid the ongoing fourth wave of Covid-19, it has decided to vaccinate citizens aged between 15 and 18 from September 13, Aaj News reported.

During the meeting on Saturday, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) decided to inoculate citizens with the Pfizer vaccine free of cost. The country has already started vaccinating citizens aged 17 and 18 against the novel coronavirus.

Earlier, the NCOC made it mandatory for students aged over 17 to be vaccinated with at least one dose by September 15 and be fully vaccinated by October 15. They will not be allowed to enter educational institutions after the deadline, the NCOC warned.

Pakistan to start vaccinating citizens aged 17-18 from Sept 1

The forum also said that from September 30 only fully vaccinated people will be able to continue their transport businesses that cater to students.

Meanwhile, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Friday said that more than 20 million people have been fully vaccinated, while 50 million have been vaccinated with at least one dose.

As per NCOC, more than 65.5 million doses of the coronavirus vaccines have been administered since Pakistan began its immunisation drive.

Sindh takes back decision to vaccinate students below 17 years of age

Meanwhile, 3,480 positive cases were reported during the last 24 hours out of 63,181 tests conducted across the country. The national positivity ratio stands at 5.50%, the NCOC said.

Moreover, 82 people succumbed to the novel virus in the past 24 hours, while the total number of critical cases stands at 5,373.