Sindh all set to begin COVID-19 immunisation drive

Karachi: All measures for a vaccination drive have been finalised in Sindh as the province will receive 82,359 doses of Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine from the Centre on February 1.

According to a plan unveiled by the provincial government, around 170,000 frontline health workers will be vaccinated in the first phase.

Covid-19 vaccination programme will be launched in 10 districts of the province including Karachi Hyderabad and Shaheed Benazirabad. The vaccination programme will be initiated in all the seven districts of Karachi along with Hyderabad, Jamshoro and Shaheed Benazirabad.

The health department has set up 14 vaccination centres in the province. Of the 14 vaccination centres, nine have been established in Karachi, including two each in the South, East and Central districts, and one each in the Korangi, Malir and West districts.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has also written a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding the procurement of the vaccine, according to Sindh Information Minister Nasir Shah.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Sindh government has already earmarked funds to the tune of Rs1.5 billion for the vaccine procurement and is in contact with Chinese, British and Russian firms to buy as many doses of Covid-19 jabs as possible.

Earlier, the PAF aircraft departed for Beijing to bring the first batch of a Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine back to the country. According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), all arrangements for storage, transportation and administration of the vaccine have been finalised.

On Jan 30, Federal Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar had announced that Pakistan will likely get 17 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine by March.