Sindh to begin first phase of coronavirus vaccination drive from Feb 3

• Frontline workers to be inoculated in first phase, says Sindh health minister
• Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine 90% effective against coronavirus, says Dr Azra Pechuho
• In the second phase, people over the age of 60 will be vaccinated, says the minister 

KARACHI: The Sindh government announced on Monday that will begin the first phase of the coronavirus vaccination drive in the province from February 3, hours after the first batch of the vaccine arrived in Pakistan from China.

Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho said that in the first phase frontline workers, from private and public medical facilities, would be inoculated.

Sinopharm's coronavirus vaccine is 90% effective against the virus, Dr Pechuho said, adding that the convenience of all Karachi districts has been considered.

Read more: Sindh government to establish coronavirus vaccination point at Karachi Expo Centre

In the second phase, people over the age of 60 will be vaccinated and in the last phase, the general public will be inoculated, the health minister said.

Moreover, during the last phase, the health minister said that the vaccination centres will be increased across the province's districts to cater to the needs of the people.

Vaccine arrives in Pakistan

Earlier today, a Pakistan Air Force aircraft brought back the country's first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines from China, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan confirmed.

"Thank God, the first batch of Sinopharm vaccine has arrived! Grateful to China and everyone who made this happen," Sultan had said in a statement released on Twitter.

"I salute our frontline healthcare workers for their efforts and they'll be first to get vaccinated," he had said.

Pakistan had asked China for another one million doses. Pakistan is also set to receive 17 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine under a global scheme to deliver coronavirus treatments to developing nations.

About 6 million doses will arrive by the end of March under the COVAX scheme, with the remainder due by mid-year, Sultan had announced last week.

The country has reported 1,615 new infections and 26 deaths in the latest 24-hours, taking the total number of cases to 546,428, with 11,683 deaths.

"All eligible citizens as per phases will be informed to register once the vaccine process will start," health ministry had announced on its website.

Pakistan had signed up last year to the vaccine sharing scheme coordinated by the World Health Organisation to support lower-income countries.

Pakistan has approved both the vaccines for emergency use and will review their approval quarterly, officials had said.