Govt starts administering Pfizer vaccine to people with weak immunity

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has commenced administering Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to people with weak immunity following the health ministry’s guidelines, citing sources, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine across Pakistan was administered in the federal capital Islamabad. Sources told ARY News that six persons having weak immunity were administered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at F9’s mass vaccination centre.

For getting Pfizer jabs, the health officials have advised citizens to bring medical reports with them.

The health minister had earlier issued interim guidelines for the usage of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines across the country which stated that it should be used for people aged above 18 including high-risk patients, Hajj pilgrims, and people having work or study visas.

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“Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers could be administered Pfizer vaccine,” it said adding that people suffering from liver issues, hepatitis, neurological disorders and stroke patients could get Pfizer jabs while those undergoing a transplant could get the dose two weeks before it or one week after the transplant.

Those suffering from cancer could also receive a jab from the Pfizer vaccine while people suffering from respiratory, cardiac, and hypertension ailments could get the jab after consultation with the concerned doctor.

The guidelines further advised against the administration of Pfizer vaccine to those suffering from fever, COVID-19 patients while those who have recovered from the infection could get the dose.

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Those suffering from intense allergies could not receive Pfizer jabs, the guidelines from National Health Ministry said.

Policy changed

Given limited stock of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, the federal government had changed with its policy about who will be administered the American vaccine.

It has been decided that work visa holders and students travelling abroad will not be administered the Pfizer vaccine as only Hajis and people suffering from chronic diseases will be receiving this vaccine. It added that the people traveling abroad will be administered the American vaccine once the country receives its second batch.

Pakistan had received 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine under the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) programme from which Punjab province would receive most of the doses 26,000- followed by 12,000 and 8,000 doses of the vaccine to be provided to Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces.

The Balochistan province would receive 2,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine while Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) will get 1,000 doses.

Pfizer would be administered in 15 cities of the country due to the presence of ultracold chain refrigerators.