Staff Reporter Islamabad
Parliamentary Secretary, National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Dr. Nausheen Hamid on Thursday said that Pakistan would receive the first shipment of coronavirus vaccine from China’s Sinopharm next week. Talking to media, she extended gratitude to China for sending first shipment of 5 lacs doses of vaccine which would be free of charge for all provinces without any discrimination.
After all necessary verification, designated AVC (Adult Vaccine Centre) (based on ‘Present Address’ and PIN Code will be sent to the citizen through SMS), she informed. She said, during first phase,around 4 lacs hundreds of vaccination centres at DHQ level will begin administering the vaccine to healthcare and frontline workers from next week,while in the second phase, senior citizens will be administered.
A website was also set up by the health ministry following the arrival of vaccines which offered up-to-date information about the vaccination process, she said. She assured that the government will try its best to inoculate the big chunk of population free-of-cost. She mentioned that the Chinese vaccine is being gifted to Islamabad as a ‘goodwill gesture’ from Beijing ‘in view of the all-weather strategic relationship’ between the two countries.
‘If the private sector or any other provincial government wants to import any other internationally-approved vaccine, it can do so, NOC was already issued for Sindh government after DRAP’s final approval but some formalities are under consideration’, she replied to a question. Government in final negotiations with Sinovac, CanSino, Russia for Covid-19 vaccine supply, over one million covacc doses will also be received soon, she concluded.
