ISLAMABAD: National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar has said people aged 40 years and above can walk into any vaccination centre from tomorrow (Wednesday) to get a Covid-19 jab.
On a social media website Twitter, Asad Umar said, “Starting tomorrow the 12th of May all 40 plus who have registered will be able to walk into any vaccination center of their choice and get vaccinated.”
Starting tomorrow the 12th of May all 40 plus who have registered will be able to walk into any vaccination center of their choice and get vaccinated. Please note that vaccination centres are open and will only be closing for two days on eid.
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) May 11, 2021
The planning and development minister said all vaccination centres are open and will only be closing on the first two days of Eidul Fitr.
He explained that the government was giving COVID-19 vaccines based on age because of limited supply and vaccination capacity in the country.
Therefore it is vital that vaccination is concentrated on the most vulnerable segments of population. The risk of mortality due to covid rises sharply with age. In Pakistan the case fatality rate based on cumulative data this strong linkage in our country also
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) May 11, 2021
Umar added that it was important to inoculate the most vulnerable people first as the COVID-19 mortality risk increases with age. “In Pakistan the case fatality rate based on cumulative data shows this strong linkage in our country also,” he said.
Earlier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had transported a batch of one million doses of Sinovac vaccine from Beijing Capital International Airport to Islamabad.
According to the PIA Country Manager for China Qadir Bux Sangi, “More flights of the national carrier are expected to airlift more consignments of Sinovac vaccines procured from China between May 13-15 and by the end of May”,
Pakistan has so far received over 10 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines procured from China including others through the COVAX programme, the official informed.
The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has announced that so far 10.19 million doses of different Covid-19 vaccines comprising Sinopharm, Sinovac and CanSino were received by the country.
It also informed that 1.23 million doses of Astrazenca Covid vaccine were also received in the federal capital. However, this vaccine was procured through the COVAX programme.
While elaborating on the arrival of the next tranches of the Covid-19 vaccines, the sources said that one million doses would be landing on May 13-15 while another 1.5 million doses are expected by the end of this month.
Presently, Pakistan is facing a third wave of Covid-19 and the positivity rate has seen a sharp rise, forcing the Pakistani authorities to continue tightening the anti-pandemic steps and facilitating the vaccination drive.
