COVID-19 vaccine scarcity reported in Punjab vaccination centres

LAHORE: Vaccination centres in Lahore and other parts of Punjab are witnessing scarcity of COVID-19 vaccine shots, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The largest Covid vaccination center at Karachi Expo Center also Tuesday reported it facing a shortage of Chinese vaccines.

The people protested at vaccination centres in Lahore after they were informed about scarcity of the vaccine in the stock. Due to shortage of the vaccine, the security guards deputed outside the vaccination centres were sending the people back.

“We are standing in queues since the morning, now they are sending us back,” protesters said.

The authorities at Karachi’s Expo Center yesterday told that the stock of China’s Sinopharm, Sinovac and CanSino has been finished while only AstraZeneca is being administered to the people above the age of 40.

It may be noted that , in a bid to help inoculate people who need to travel abroad for education or jobs, the federal government yesterday revised its guidelines for the AstraZeneca vaccine and allowed citizens who are 18 or older to get the shot.

According to new guidelines issued by the National Ministry of Health, the vaccine shot could be given to the male aged 18 years or above, and the women above 40 years of age.