Temporary shortage of Covid jabs at some vaccination centres, says SAPM Faisal

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr Faisal Sultan said on Wednesday that 2 million doses of Covid vaccines are still available in the country and supply would improve further after June 20, ARY News reported.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Faisal Sultan said that a shortage of vaccines had been reported at some busy vaccination centres, adding that the situation will further improve after 20th June with the availability of additional doses.

“There are more than 2,000 vaccination centres in the country and the number of visitors varies. So there may be a shortage of vaccines in some centres,” he said.

Dr Faisal Sultan has said that 12 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have so far been administered across the country. SAPM said that the government is ensuring procurement of additional doses.

He appealed to citizens to strictly follow COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) in offices and markets to prevent the disease.

It is pertinent to mention here that vaccination centres in Lahore and other parts of Punjab are witnessing a scarcity of COVID-19 vaccine shots.

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.