No side effects of COVID-19 vaccine, Pakistani frontline health workers say

• Frontline health workers encourage colleagues to get vaccinated against COVID-19
• NCOC reviews progress in vaccine administration
• So far, 27,228 frontline health workers have been vaccinated

Frontline health workers in Pakistan who have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine have urged their colleagues to not be hesitant in getting the shot, saying there are no side effects.

A video released by the government on its vaccination strategy showed brief interviews of health workers from different health facilities across Pakistan in which they spoke about the positives of getting China’s Sinopharm vaccine.

On Monday, the National Command and Operation Centre reviewed the progress in vaccine administration to frontline health care workers and went over various operational and administrative issues needing prompt action since the start of the vaccine drive on February 3.

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An elaborate and well defined procedure laid down by NCOC was shared with all stakeholders, read a press statement about the NCOC meeting.

It said several guidelines had been violated, but provinces were asked to ensure compliance.

Violations were identified at the vaccine nerve centre in NIMS.

NCOC head Asad Umer said NIMS was established to oversee the entire vaccine administration process and ensure transparency and data accuracy. NCOC reiterated that only the front line healthcare workers who are saving lives and registered in the resource management system by provincial health departments are authorised to be administered the vaccine in this phase.

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No one else is allowed to to bypass the NIMS / RMS vaccine system, the press statement read.

How many people has Pakistan vaccinated against COVID-19 so far?

So far, 27,228 frontline health workers have been vaccinated. Of them, 21,121 are from Sindh, 4,458 from Punjab, 691 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 274 from Islamabad Capital Territory, 239 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 312 from Gilgit-Baltistan and 133 from Balochistan.

The process of getting a coronavirus vaccine shot

If you are a frontline health worker, you can check your eligibility by sending your CNIC number to 1166 or visit the nims.nadra.gov.pk website.

In the first step, a confirmation message containing Adult Vaccine Center (AVC) and a pin code will be sent. You will then be informed of your appointment.

Read more: Sindh reports sweeping irregularities in dispensing China's Sinopharm vaccine against COVID-19

After this, you will need to visit the AVC with your CNIC and pin code. The health staff at the AVC will confirm the appointment and verify the CNIC and pin code.

The vaccination staff will confirm vaccine entry in NIMS and a confirmation SMS will be sent.

Once vaccinated, you will have to stay for 30 minutes for monitoring. In case of a double shot vaccine, the message will be sent after seven days.