Govt starts Covid booster shots from today

New measure part of stepped up vaccination drive to prevent Omicron spread

ISLAMABAD:

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) will start administration of booster shot of the coronavirus vaccine to the frontline health workers and elderly people from Wednesday, December 1 (today).

Local health officials said that the strategy for administering the booster shot has been prepared. They added that the person receiving the jab could choose the booster vaccine from Sinopharm, SinoVac and Pfizer.

Healthcare workers and people above the age of 50 will be given the booster dose. People with weak immune systems would also be administered the booster shot. The officials added that the booster doses would not be mandatory.

Also read: Omicron threat: Sindh allows booster shots

The booster shot is part of the stepped up NCOC efforts to prevent a fifth wave of coronavirus pandemic in the country in the wake of the emergence of a deadlier and fast spreading Omicron variant.

NCOC chief Asad Umar said on Monday that new variant would eventually hit Pakistan in a few weeks. He added that vaccine was the only option to contain its fast spread. The government had already banned travel from six African countries where Omicron cases had been reported.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government imposed new restrictions across the province in view of the Omicron variant. The provincial home department has placed a limit on indoor dining at hotels at 50% in all districts of the province, except Karachi, where it said the limit would be 70%.

Similarly, wedding gatherings of more than 300 people have been banned in Larkana, Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad divisions, besides Khairpur and Ghotki districts. However, the limit has been raised to 500 people in Sanghar and Sukkur districts and the Karachi division.

Also read: Explainer: Should everyone get a Covid booster?

Travel to the tourist spots, amusement parks, swimming pools and air travel will be subject to Covid vaccine. Similarly, the Home Department said, only vaccinated people would be allowed to enter cinema halls.

Business centres had been told to close by 10pm while educational institutions will remain open.
Omicron, first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) in South Africa less than a week ago, has already appeared in many countries, with borders shutting and dozens of governments imposing travel restrictions in defiance of WHO advice.

Several governments, particularly in Western Europe, have reintroduced mandatory mask-wearing, social-distancing measures, curfews or lockdowns—leaving businesses fearing a grim Christmas. Moderna, Pfizer and the backers of Russian vaccine Sputnik V are already working on an Omicron-specific vaccine.