KARACHI: The provincial health department has decided to inoculate all people with a booster shot of Pfizer keeping in view the increased risk of transmission and re-infection posed by the new Covid-19 variant Omicron.

“The decision has been taken but the department is yet to make required arrangements for this purpose and announce a date for its launch,” said a health official.

The booster jab would be offered to people who were already vaccinated with any of the Chinese vaccines, Sinopharm, Sinovac and Cansino, he added.

Currently, the facility for the booster jab is available at the Dow University of Health Sciences and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

Earlier, the federal government placed a complete ban on travel from seven countries in the wake of the discovery of a new heavily mutated variant of coronavirus that has recently been reported in South Africa.

Meanwhile, experts have called upon the government to improve Covid-19 surveillance facilities at airports and other entry points of the country, especially for passengers arriving from high-risk countries.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2021