100-year-old Pakistani gets coronavirus vaccine jab in Karachi

• 100-year-old Israel Ahmed Meenai is probably the oldest person in Pakistan to have been vaccinated against coronavirus.
  
• Meenai sends a message to the elderly citizens that despite age, a healthy life should always be cherished.
  
• He appealed to the elderly to register themselves on the National Immunisation Management System or 1166.
  

A 100-year-old Pakistani man has received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

It is being said that Israel Ahmed Meenai is the oldest person in Pakistan so far to have been vaccinated against coronavirus in Karachi.

He sent a message to elderly citizens that despite age, a healthy life should always be cherished.

According to officials of the Sindh health department, Meenai, who was brought in a wheelchair to the Aga Khan Adult Vaccination Centre, is a resident of Defence Housing Society (DHA) in Karachi.

His age was confirmed with the information given on his identity card, the official added.

According to the staff at AKU, Meenai did not "look" like a 100-year-old.

The health officials had estimated Meenai would at most be 75 years old.

According to the officials, Meenai was tested for blood pressure, sugar, and other tests and received the vaccination after the doctors were completely satisfied.

“The staff of the adult vaccination centre [AVC] at the Aga Khan University Hospital [AKUH] was astonished to learn that a 100-year-old person had come to get the Covid-19 jab,” said an official.

Read more: Coronavirus in Pakistan: Here's the list of vaccination centres across Punjab

“They checked his vitals, and they were perfect. He was healthy and fit for the vaccination, so they administered him the first dose of Sinopharm, monitored him for around half an hour and then allowed him to leave.”

Officials added that Meenai was kept under observation for about half an hour, but his condition remained stable and he had no complaints other than feeling slightly light headed. He was then allowed to go home.

Officials said that according to Meenai, God has kept him safe from the coronavirus and he wants to live a healthy life.

He appealed to the elderly to register themselves on the National Immunisation Management System or 1166 to get vaccinated. 

Officials said that 28 adult vaccination centres have been set up in Karachi.