KARACHI: The Sindh Health Department on Thursday decided to administer a Covid booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine to all healthcare workers in the province, according to a notification issued in this regard.
The provincial health department, in the notification, stated that the decision was taken in light of the healthcare workers being at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. The inoculation will be done free of charge.
The health department has written a letter to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) in this regard as well.
Earlier this week, the Sindh government had received 320,580 new Pfizer vaccine doses sent by the United States through the COVAX facility, the US State Department said in a press release.
US Consul General Mark Stroh and Sindh Minister of Health and Population Welfare Azra Pechuho welcomed the shipment which is part of a 6.6 million-dose tranche of vaccine the United States has sent to Pakistan.
The State Department added that this tranche is the fourth such delivery bringing the total number of vaccine doses donated to Pakistan to nearly 16 million.
In August, SAPM on Health Dr Faisal Sultan asserted that the government had started consideration to administer booster shots after six months of second shot to frontline healthcare workers above 50 years of age.
He had said that after consultation, this booster was likely to start from October 1. He added there was also a plan to start boosters for the immunocompromised persons after six months of their second dose.
Travellers who have received both doses of vaccine can also take an additional booster shot of the country’s approved vaccines, According to a notification issued by the Ministry of National Health Services issued last month. “The fee of the booster dose of vaccines shall be Rs1,270 per dose,” the notification added.
