Nationwide COVID inoculation campaign begins today: Asad Umar

The minister says the drive will kick-off in all provincial capitals tomorrow

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar has said that the nationwide campaign for administering the vaccine for COVID-19 will begin today (Tuesday).

"Today, in the presence of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the campaign to administer the corona vaccine will begin," Umar said in a Twitter post today.

Also read: Pakistan reports lowest number of COVID cases in three months

He added, "the vaccination campaign will commence in all provincial capitals tomorrow," adding, "it will be administered, first of all, to the frontline healthcare workers."

آج وزیراعظم کی موجودگی میں کرونا ویکسین لگانے کی مہم کا آغاز ہو گا اور انشاءاللہ کل تمام صوبائی دارالحکومت میں قومی کرونا ویکسینیشن مہم شروع ہو جائے گی. سب سے پہلے ویکسین فرنٹ لائن ہیلتھ ورکرز کو لگائ جائے گی

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) February 2, 2021

The country is set to embark on a massive inoculation drive against the coronavirus this week, as the first consignment of the 500,000 doses produced by China’s Sinopharm reached the federal capital on Monday.

Besides the Chinese jabs, Pakistan has also been pledged 17 million doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine under a global scheme to deliver treatments to the developing nations. About 6 million doses will arrive by March's end under the COVAX scheme, with the remainder due by mid-year.

According to the latest statistics, the COVID-19 cases in the country stand at 547,648, while the death totaling to 11,746. The recoveries are currently at a total of 502,537.