Pakistan launches nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive

Coronavirus vaccination drive was launched today by Asad Umar in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Immunization drive against COVID-19 was launched by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar in federal capital while Chief Ministers started the drive in their respective provinces.

The healthcare staffs were administered with first shots of Sinopharm vaccine at a special ceremony at National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) in Islamabad.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said the health workers are our real heroes in the fight against the pandemic. This is the reason that it was decided to administer the vaccine to the health workers in the first place.

The Minister appreciated China for providing the vaccine to Pakistan. He said China is our true friend that has always stood by us in difficult times.

Asad Umar said it is the because of the government’s effective strategy and the cooperation of the people that we managed to control the spread of the pandemic.

On the other hand, the Sindh ceremony was taken place at Dow university Ojha vaccination center where Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was the Chief Guest. The Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar was the chief guest in the vaccination ceremony.

Vaccination centers have been established in Lahore’s Services, Mayo, General and Mian Mir Hospital meanwhile, 6000 frontline health workers of Mayo Hospital will be immunized in the first phase.

 

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan was the chief guest of inoculation ceremony. The vaccination ceremony in Balochistan was held at Chief Minister Secretariat.

In Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the vaccination was held at the PM Secretariat whereas in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) inoculation was held at CS secretariat with Chief Minister GB as chief guest.

Also read: Will try to administer COVID-19 vaccine to 70pc people by yearend: Dr Faisal

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr. Faisal Sultan on Wednesday has said an effective mechanism has been developed to ensure administration of anti-Covid vaccine to the people.

Briefing the media persons at the National Command and Operation Center in Islamabad, the special assistant said adult vaccine centers have been established across the country with the capacity to administer vaccine to forty thousand people on daily basis.

He said Sinapharm vaccine gifted by China to Pakistan is an effective and trusted vaccine. He said it is being used in China and has also been authorized in Egypt and Hungary.

He expressed the confidence that this vaccine will prove to be an important step to protect our health workers from the pandemic.

Faisal Sultan said that Covax has promised to provide seventeen million more doses of anti-Covid vaccine. Seven million doses will be received in the first quarter whilst the remaining ten million doses in the next quarter, he added.

The special assistant said the government is also in contact with different countries and vaccine manufacturing companies to procure additional seventy three million doses of anti-Covid vaccine.

He said the country will have sufficient doses of the vaccine in the coming months.

Faisal Sultan said it is our desire that the vaccine reach the seventy percent population by the end of this year.

Also read: Shibli welcomes move to begin covid-19 vaccine drive in all provinces at same time

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Wednesday has welcomed the step of starting national coronavirus vaccination drive in all the provinces of Pakistan at the same time.

In a post on social-networking website Twitter, the minister said that all the federating units have been provided equal opportunities in this regard. Protection of nation’s health and employment is first priority in new Pakistan, he told.

Also read: Centre did not allow Sindh to import coronavirus vaccine: Nasir Shah

Sindh Information Minister Nasir Shah on Wednesday claimed that Federal government did not allow Sindh to import coronavirus vaccine.

Nasir Shah, while reacting to statements of federal ministers, said that CM Sindh wrote a letter to Centre for allowing import of the jabs; however, his request was turned down by the federal government as it does not want provinces to independently source the vaccine.

He, while criticizing the PTI government, said that the ministers are lying to public about coronavirus vaccine. Corruption is trademark of Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government, he alleged.