Sindh to begin Covid-19 vaccination drive from February 3: minister

KARACHI: Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said on Friday that Sindh will launch the COVID-19 vaccination drive from February 3, ARY News reported.

While addressing a press conference at the Sindh Assembly, the provincial information minister said that Sindh will get 82,359 vaccine doses from the 500,000 doses received by the federal government from China.

He said that frontline healthcare workers will be vaccinated in the first phase in Sindh, adding that The Sindh health department had allocated Rs1.5 billion for the COVID-19 vaccine.

“In the first phase of the vaccination drive, front line healthcare workers will be inoculated, ” he said.

Nasir Shah said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has also written a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding the procurement of the vaccine.

Sindh information minister further said the health department has set up 14 vaccination centres in the province.

Of the 14 vaccination centres, nine have been established in Karachi, including two each in the South, East and Central districts, and one each in the Korangi, Malir and West districts, he added.

The minister announced that in the beginning, vaccines will be distributed in 10 most Covid affected districts of the province. He said that people in Sindh will be vaccinated free of cost.

Also Read: Who will get Covid-19 vaccine in Sindh first?

It is pertinent to mention here that the Sindh government has already earmarked funds to the tune of Rs1.5 billion for the vaccine procurement and is in contact with Chinese, British and Russian firms to buy as many doses of Covid-19 jabs as possible.

According to sources, the first batch of the vaccine will reach Karachi on February 1.