ISLAMABAD – The national vaccination drive against novel COVID-19 is beginning across Pakistan from today after all-weather friend China donated half-million doses to Pakistan on Monday.
The first tranche of the COVID-19 vaccine has reached all federating units, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan and the frontline health workers will be vaccinated in the first phase.
National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) Chief Asad Umar initiated the national immunisation drive in a special ceremony while the chief ministers of all provinces participated in the event via video link. Asad appreciated all the stakeholders and leaders who work jointly in the country’s fight against the novel disease. The provinces also held separate events to start the vaccination drive.
#Live: #Live: Planning Minister @Asad_Umar addressing ceremony in connection with the provision of corona vaccine in NCOC, Islamabad https://t.co/JgoXyLKvBE
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) February 3, 2021
Commercial Minister Counsellor China Xie Guoxiang was the chief guest where Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Hussain Chaudhary, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan and SAPM on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar were also present on the occasion.
The first vaccine was administered to Rizwana Yasmeen – a charge nurse in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) isolation unit, she and her team have been working tirelessly in the fight against novel virus and she is representing all medical and paramedical staff of PIMS who have been involved in managing Covid19 patients.
Ceremony in Sindh 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 in the Punjab provicne.
In KPK. Chief Minister Mahmood Khan was the chief guest of the vaccination ceremony whereas 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 the CS secretariat with Chief Minister GB as chief guest.
Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan launched vaccination against the deadly coronavirus, initially for health workers, and urged the people to strictly adhere to the SoPs to stop its spread.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister thanked the Chinese government for providing the first batch of five hundred thousand vaccines to Pakistan. He said in the first phase, the vaccine will be provided to health workers and then old age people.
