With extended vaccination deadline for frontliners over, only about half took the jabs

Lack of proper communication on risks, overestimation of the number of health workers and geography are the reasons, officials say. A massive awareness campaign is needed, experts stress.

Saturday was the extended deadline the Ministry of Health and Population had set to immunise 430,000 health workers, support staff at health facilities, female community health volunteers, security personnel involved in disposing of the bodies of Covid-19 victims, sanitation workers and elderly people living in care homes.