KARACHI: The vaccination for Covid-19 resumed in all 29 districts of Sindh on Monday after a day’s closure of vaccination centres due to shortage of jabs.

According to health department officials, a total of 421,000 doses of SinoVac were distributed to vaccination centres late Sunday night across the province including 23,000 doses to district Central, 140,000 to district East, 20,000 to district Korangi, 17,000 to district Malir, 50,000 to district South and 25,000 to district West.

“Our 450 vaccination centres are functional today out of a total of 827 units. The rest will be functional as soon as we get more vaccines,” said Dr Samreen Ashraf Qureshi, provincial focal person for Covid-19 vaccination, adding that mobile units were being made operational gradually.

About the challenges ahead, Dr Qureshi said that vaccine shortage was still a challenge despite the federal government’s commitments.

The health department, she said, was facilitating people intending to go abroad by administering AstraZeneca to those above 18. Partially vaccinated people (who received only one dose) could get their certificate from Nadra’s website.

The National Command and Operation Centre, she pointed out, had changed guidelines for administration of vaccines and now the second dose of Sinopharm, SinoVac and Pfizer was to be given after six weeks.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2021