PM's aide announces registration open for coronavirus vaccination of people over 50

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan's aide on health, Dr Faisal Sultan, announced Wednesday that registration for vaccination against the novel coronavirus for people above 50 years of age has been opened.

Pakistan has so far administered over 800,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine, Dr Sultan said.

Speaking to the media, he said about 500,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine manufactured by Beijing's state-owned China National Pharmaceutical Group — or Sinopharm — arrived in Pakistan today. Another 500,000 doses will arrive tomorrow, he announced.

Also read: Pakistan receives first shipment of 60,000 single-dose CanSino coronavirus vaccines

"Vaccination in Pakistan started with Sinopharm [vaccine]," he told the media.

Dr Sultan also announced that registration has started for vaccination of people above 50 years of age now that elderly, as well as primary healthcare workers and frontline medics, had been administered the first doses.

Officials at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination (NHSR&C) confirmed earlier today that the first shipment of 60,000 doses of the single-dose Chinese vaccine Convidecia — developed by the CanSino Biologics Inc, or CanSinoBIO — arrived in Pakistan Tuesday night.

Also read: Sindh earmarks Rs500 million to directly buy CanSino coronavirus vaccine from China

"Its distribution to provinces and other federating units would commence from Wednesday,” a ministry official told The News.

The official underscored that Convidecia's single-dose coronavirus vaccine would only be given to people over 80 years of age since the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) did not wish for octogenarians and those above 90 to visit the vaccination centres a second time.

Separate Adult Vaccination Centers (AVCs) will be made for it, he added.