ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has started preparations to launch the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive as the federal government sought data of healthcare workers from the provinces, citing sources, ARY News reported on Thursday.
The federal government sought records of healthcare workers from all provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) regions ahead of launching the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive across the country.
COVID-19 vaccines will be administered to frontline health workers who are performing duties in corona wards in different government and private facilities which would be completed in two levels, sources told ARY News.
Read: Frontline workers to get Covid vaccines in first quarter of 2021: Fawad
Under the strategy devised by the federal authorities, the first phase the vaccination drive is likely to be launched in the beginning of March to administer vaccines to more than 500,000 healthcare workers. The remaining health workers will be given coronavirus vaccines during its second level.
Sources privy to the development said that each healthcare worker will be administered two vaccines. The Centre has also sought recommendations for the upcoming coronavirus vaccination campaign, whereas, it was decided to scrutinise health workers’ data to be provided by the provinces.
The federal government will prepare the final list of healthcare workers after holding consultation. It was also decided to procure 1.2 million vials of COVID-19 vaccines from a Chinese company Sinopharm, added sources.
Read: Federal govt prepares national immunisation management system
Meanwhile, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) organised a special session for discussing the implementation of the strategy to begin COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Pakistan.
A special session has been organised by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) ahead of implementing the strategies devised for initiating COVID-19 vaccination programme.
The session was attended by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Khusro Bakhtiar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar, Surgeon General of Pakistan Army Lieutenant General Nigar Johar Khan, Director General Military Operations (DGMO) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chairman, whereas, Commerce Advisor Abdul Razak Dawood joined the meeting through video link.
Read: China gives its first COVID-19 vaccine approval to Sinopharm
The chief coordinator for NCOC, Lieutenant General Hamooduz Zaman updated the participants of the special session regarding the strategy formulated to begin COVID-19 vaccine administration across the country.
The participants of the session have exchanged views on the national strategy for COVID-19 vaccination and relevant statistics of the pandemic.
