COVID-19 vaccine administration cells planned across country

ISLAMABAD: While the federal government recently decided to establish Covid-19 vaccine administration cells across the country, pharmaceutical companies suggested that licences should be issued for local manufacturing of the vaccine as it maytake years to import jabs for the entire population of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, 2,475 new Covid-19 cases and eight deaths were reported in a single day as the total number of active cases reached 34,537 in the country. According to a statement issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), a special session on vaccine availability and efficient administration was held on Thursday to mull over national vaccine strategy.

The meeting was attended by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, federal Minister for Economic Affairs Division Khusro Bakhtiyar, SAPM on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar, Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz Satti, Surgeon General of Pakistan Army Lt Gen Nigar Johar and Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Maj Gen Nauman Zakria.

Adviser to the PM on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood joined the session via video link.

National Coordinator of NCOC Gen Hamooduz Zaman Khan updated the forum on the national vaccine strategy.

NCOC Director General Maj Gen Asif Goraya said ef forts would be made to facilitate the provinces for smooth vaccine administration.

The meeting was told that as per the strategy front line healthcare workers (FLHW) would be vaccinated in the hrst stage of inoculadon process of Covid-19 followed by people above 65 years of age due to their higher vulnerability to the virus.

During the second stage of the immunisation process, all healthcare work-ers and people between 60 and 64 years of age would be administered the vaccine.

The forum was told that it was expected that at the end of first quarter of next year all FLHCWs would be vaccinated.

It was told that vaccine administration cells would be set up at all district and tehsil headquarters hospitals and regional health centers to ensure grass roots level approach of the vaccination process.