ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan on Thursday revealed that a special plane would be flown to China in the next couple of days for transportation of the first tranche of Covid-19 vaccine.

“It is expected that the first consignment will have around 500,000 doses of vaccine and administration of vaccine will be started at the earliest,” he said while talking to Dawn.

Earlier, the SAPM chaired a special session on Pakistan’s vaccine strategy held at the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). Provincial health ministers attended the session via video link. The session deliberated on efficient vaccine movement to various federating units and deployment mechanism.

The provinces’ representatives updated their complete deployment plan and infrastructure arrangements for administration of vaccine. It was informed that a vaccine nerve centre has been established at NCOC with provincial vaccine administration centre and up to district level arrangements have been made.

Says system evolved to ensure everyone has access to the vaccine

“We are fully prepared for this undertaking and also united in this mission. Our coordinated efforts have brought us a long way,” Dr Sultan said.

Later, during a briefing at the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS), he said all arrangements were in place and the vaccine would be available in Pakistan hopefully in the coming week. He said a system had been formulated in collaboration with Nadra to ensure that everyone has access to the vaccine.

“The process will begin with frontline healthcare workers and will proceed to senior citizens of more than 65 years of age who are at high risk. In this regard, all efforts have been done. Procurement of vaccine will be made through vaccine companies directly and also by Covax, which is a global initiative to ensure rapid and equitable access for all countries,” he said.

Dr Sultan asserted that 20 per cent of the population will be covered through it (Covax).

Committee chairperson Senator Khushbakht Shujaat of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement expressed concern over rumours being spread against the vaccine. She said an awareness campaign to counter this narrative was essential.

Dr Sultan informed the committee that the campaign was ready and would be launched in line with the administration of vaccine.

Meanwhile, Senate Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla on Thursday claimed that an order for 200,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine had been placed which would initially be administered to senators and staff members of the Senate.

According to a media report, Mr Mandviwalla said he talked to Dr Faisal Sultan to inquire why approvals were not being given to vaccines.

“I asked Dr Faisal Sultan why approval was not being given to vaccines. If the government is unable to decide and procure, the private sector can acquire it. He (SAPM) said that the government has given the approval and the private sector can procure the vaccine,” he said.

However, NHS ministry’s spokesperson Sajid Shah, while talking to Dawn, said that a priority list to vaccinate people had been prepared and the government would strictly follow it.

“Vaccine will be administered on merit and transparently,” he added.

According to NCOC’s data, as many as 1,910 Covid-19 cases and 64 deaths were reported in a single day. The number of active cases was 33,295 on Thursday.

While 2,147 Covid-19 patients were in critical condition, there were 299 ventilators in use. The national positivity ratio remained at 4.68 per cent, with the highest ratio of 13.18pc observed in Karachi, followed by 11.11pc in Mirpur and 7.32pc in Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2021