Page 12 - Pakistan Link - January 29, 2020

P12 – PAKISTAN LINK – JANUARY 29, 2021 PAKISTAN
Pakistan’s Covid-19 Vaccination Drive NCOC Outlines 8-step Process

to Begin Next Week: Asad Umar for Citizens to Get Vaccinated

vid-19 vaccine seems to
have been assured for Pak-
istan as Covax announced
earlier this month that it
will acquire 150 million

doses in the first quarter
and two billion doses by
the end of the year.
It further said that,
out of the two billion dos-
es, 1.3bn will be provided
to 92 lower-income econ-
omies. As a result of this
agreement, the chances of
Pakistan getting the free

doses in the first quarter
of the current year seem
to have brightened.
Talking to Dawn,
Ministry of National
“The system for vaccination is in place. Hundreds of vaccination centers in the country will Health Services (NHS) A general view of the Khaliq Dina Hall and Library building, which has been

be administering the Covid vaccine,” Asad Umar, who is also the head of the National Com- spokesperson Sajid Shah converted into a vaccination center for administering the Covid-19 vaccine, in
mand and Operation Center (NCOC), said in a tweet had said it was a posi- Karachi, January 27 — Reuters
tive development and
Islamabad: Starting with first batch would be flown ing completion of Phase expressed the hope that Islamabad: Th e National Com- schools across the country will re-

front-line health work- in on Saturday. III clinical trials in Paki- Pakistan would get the mand and Operation Centre open on February 1 as per schedule.
ers, Pakistan’s Covid-19 Pakistan has so far stan, and preliminary vaccine in the current (NCOC) on Wednesday outlined Students in four big cities — Karachi,
vaccination drive will be approved three coro- results may be available quarter. the country’s vaccination strategy Hyderabad, Lahore and Peshawar —
launched next week, fed- navirus vaccines — the by mid-February, Sultan Earlier in the day, against Covid-19, revealing an eight- would attend educational institu-
eral Minister for Plan- Oxford-AstraZeneca said. the NCOC had outlined step process for registration and vac- tions on alternate days, maintaining
ning Asad Umar said on vaccine, the vaccine The government also the country’s vaccination cination once the vaccines become a daily strength of 50 per cent of total

Wednesday. developed by Chinese expects China to donate strategy against Covid-19, available while also deciding that all students.
“The system for vac- state-owned firm China a further million vaccine revealing an eight-step educational institutions would re-

cination is in place. Hun- National Pharmaceutical doses. process for registration open as per schedule.
dreds of vaccination cen- Group (SinoPharm) and Dr Ghazna Khalid, and vaccination once the The strategy was developed af- Vaccine

ters in the country will Russian-developed Sput- a member of the govern- vaccines become avail- ter consultation with all provinces
be administering the Co- nik V. ment task force on Cov- able. and relevant stakeholders and was Availability

vid vaccine,” Umar, who Officials say the au- id-19, said Pakistan would The strategy was de- according to established interna-

is also the head of the Na- thorizations will be re- procure vaccines from veloped after consulta- tional health guidelines, the NCOC Pakistan has so far approved

tional Command and Op- viewed quarterly with re- various markets. tion with all provinces said in a statement. three coronavirus vaccines — Rus-

eration Center (NCOC), gard to safety, efficacy and “There’s going to be and relevant stakeholders “The purpose of the strategy is sian-developed Sputnik V, the Ox-

said in a tweet. quality. an accumulation of vac- and is according to estab- to vaccinate people in a healthy en- ford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the
“God willing, the Special Assistant to cines, a consortium avail- lished international health vironment and in accordance with vaccine developed by Chinese state-

vaccination of front-line the Prime Minister on able, there’s going to be guidelines, the NCOC health guidelines through a concrete owned firm Sinopharm.
health workers will start Health Dr Faisal Sultan Chinese vaccines, there’s said in a statement. plan.” Last week, Foreign Minis-

next week,” he added. has said Pakistan could going to be AstraZeneca,” The country reported The forum said that an online ter Shah Mehmood Qureshi an-

China has pledged to get “in the range of tens of she said. 1,563 new coronavirus portal — National Immunization nounced that China has promised
donate 500,000 doses of millions” of vaccine doses “We are the fifth big- infections and 74 deaths Management System (NIMS) — has to provide 500,000 doses of a coro-

the coronavirus vaccine under an agreement with gest country in the world, in the latest 24-hour pe- been created which will be operated navirus vaccine to Pakistan by Janu-
made by the Chinese firm China’s Cansino Biologics and it’s going to be very riod, taking the total by the NCOC. Human interaction ary 31.

SinoPharm to Pakistan. Inc. difficult to immunize.” number of cases to more within the portal will be minimized Qureshi said he informed his
Two government Cansino’s Ad5-nCoV Meanwhile, the avail- than 537,477, with 11,450 to keep the system transparent, it Chinese counterpart that Pakistan’s
sources told Reuters the vaccine candidate is near- ability of free-of-cost Co- deaths. added. requirement for vaccines is “more
In addition to NIMS, numerous
than this”, and that it will need 1.1
PTI Files Foreign Funding Case against JUI-F Adult Vaccine Centers (AVC) have million doses in the near future.
been established across the country
“At this, [the Chinese foreign
which will be run by the National minister] said ‘we plan to fulfil this

Islamabad: In an interesting de- founding members of the ruling December 4, 2019. Vaccination and Administration requirement of yours as well by the
velopment, the Pakistan Tehreek-i- party, submitted to the ECP’s scruti- The petitioner’s lawyer, Syed Control Cell (NVACC). Coordina- end of February and the 1.1m doses

Insaf (PTI) has filed an application ny committee an application seeking Ahmad Hassan Shah, assisted by Ba- tion cells have also been established will be made available to you,’” he
with the Election Commission of transparency in the proceedings of dar Iqbal Chaudhry, narrated facts at provincial and district levels, the revealed in the video message.
Pakistan (ECP) demanding an in- the case by airing it live in the light for the record that led to a walkout NCOC statement said. Meanwhile, availability of free-
quiry into allegations that Jamiat of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s of- of members of the ECP’s scrutiny The NCOC revealed an eight- of-cost Covid-19 vaccine seems

Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Fazlur fer for live coverage of the case. committee during the last hearing. step registration process for citizens . to have been assured for Pakistan
Rehman and other party leaders fre- In his application, the peti- Mr Shah reiterated that as long as Covax announced earlier this
quently visited Libya and Iraq and tioner challenged the decision of the as the petitioner’s genuine and legal month that it will acquire 150 mil-

received funding from there. committee to continue to keep the concerns of transparency were not Educational lion doses in the first quarter and
In the application addressed to financial record of the PTI, includ- addressed, which included sharing two billion doses by the end of the

the Chief Election Commissioner, ing 23 bank statements, secret from of all financial documents of the Institutions year.

PTI MNA Farrukh Habib referred him in the light of the prime minis- PTI with the committee, they would It further said that, out of the
to disclosures made by former JUI- ter’s offer. continue to participate in the scru- to Reopen on two billion doses, 1.3bn will be pro-

F spokesman Hafiz Hussain Ahmed The petitioner referred to the tiny committee’s proceedings under vided to 92 lower-income econo-

about the party’s alleged foreign order of the scrutiny committee protest. February 1 mies. As a result of this agreement,
funding. A transcript of an inter- dated December 2, 2019, in which A copy of the application de- the chances of Pakistan getting the

view in which Hafiz Hussain alleg- it had refused to share PTI records manding sharing of all documents The NCOC meeting, which was free doses in the fi rst quarter of the

edly spilled the beans has been at- by stating “learned counsel for the in the light of PM Khan’s latest of- chaired by Minister for Planning, current year seem to have bright-
tached with the petition. complainant [Mr Babar] was told fer of ending secrecy was also given Development and Special Initiatives ened.
Mr Habib said in his applica- that copies of the documents sub- to PTI representatives attending the Asad Umar with National Coordi- Talking to Dawn, Ministry of
tion that Hafiz Hussain had con- mitted by the respondent [PTI] can- proceedings. nator NCOC Lieutenant General National Health Services (NHS)

fessed that the JUI-F chief had re- not be provided at this stage as the Sources said that an interesting Hamooduz Zaman Khan, also re- spokesperson Sajid Shah had said
ceived funds from Libya and Iraq. respondent seriously opposes it”. situation developed when the PTI viewed the coronavirus situation it was a positive development and

He requested the ECP to summon The application reiterated that representatives showed reluctance and reopening of educational insti- expressed the hope that Pakistan

Maulana Khan Muhammad Sherani provision of copies of all financial to even receive a copy of the appli- tutions. would get the vaccine in the current
and ask him to inform the commis- documents of the PTI was the legal cation. It was agreed that the PTI Education Minister Shafqat quarter.
sion from where Maulana Fazl had right of the complainant under Ar- would respond to the application Mehmood, Sindh Health Minister PM’s aide on health, Dr Faisal
got the funding. ticle 5(4) of the Political Parties Or- in the next meeting for the scrutiny Dr Azra Pechuho and chief secretar- Sultan, had earlier told Dawn that
Meanwhile, the foreign funding der, 2002, and Section 203(5) of the committee to decide the matter. ies of all provinces also participated Pakistan was engaged in talks with
case against the PTI took an inter- Elections Act, 2017, the order of the The committee’s proceedings in the meeting. multiple vaccine manufacturers for

esting turn on Tuesday when Akbar ECP dated May 30, 2018, and that were adjourned without further The NCOC decided that all procurement and that he expected
S. Babar, petitioner and one of the of the Islamabad High Court dated JUIF, P28 universities and primary and middle delivery in the first quarter of 2021.

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