Pakistan approves another Covid-19 vaccine for booster shots

ISLAMABAD: With the positivity rate of coronavirus currently hovering at 9.48 per cent, the federal health ministry on Wednesday included another vaccine in the Covid-19 booster set and approved the use of AstraZeneca’s booster shot for general public, ARY News reported.

The move comes to facilitate citizens waiting to get Covid booster shots of their choices as the Omicron variant spreading fast across the country.

Citizens who have been vaccinated for six months and are aged 18 or more will be eligible for the AstraZeneca booster dose.

Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Sinovac can be availed as booster shots. The booster shots will be administered to people at designated vaccination centres.

With the fifth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic intensifying, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) decided last Friday to lower the age limit for a Covid-19 booster dose.

In Todays NCOC session, age limit for booster dose has been further reduced. From tomorrow onwards, citizens over 18 years will be eligible for free booster dose of their choice. Booster (one dose) will be administered after 6 months gap from complete vaccination.

— NCOC (@OfficialNcoc) January 14, 2022

The decision was taken at a meeting of the country’s nerve centre for Covid response in Islamabad. Citizens aged 18 years and above will be eligible for a booster dose of the vaccine of their choice from tomorrow (Saturday), it said.