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KARACHI: The Sindh government on Sunday allowed the administration of Pfizer booster shot aimed at curtailing the Omicron, a new heavily mutated Covid-19 strain, as the world governments expedited measures in this regard.
According to a private news channel, Sindh Health Secretary Zulfiqar Ali Shah said that a decision in this regard has been taken by the provincial government and a notification will be issued soon.
He said that all fully vaccinated individuals can avail the facility which will be provided free-of-cost by the Sindh government, adding that the decision was taken amid fears of a new COVID-19 wave in the province.
“Currently, Pfizer vaccine was only available at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and Dow University of Health Sciences’ (DUHS) Ojha campus,” he highlighted. However, he said, efforts were being made to make booster shots available in other health facilities as well.
The variant, now known as Omicron, has cast doubt on global efforts to fight the pandemic because of fears that it is highly infectious, forcing countries to reimpose measures many had hoped were a thing of the past.
Several countries have also announced plans to restrict travel from southern Africa, where it was first detected. On Saturday, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) banned the entry of travellers from South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana and Hong Kong.
Planning Minister Asad Umar, who heads the NCOC, confirmed the restrictions on travel from six South African countries and Hong Kong, said stressed that the emergence of the new variant further underscored the urgency to vaccinate all eligible citizens.
“Based on the emergence of the new Covid variant, notification has been issued to restrict travel from 6 South African countries and Hong Kong,” Umar said in a tweet.
Based on the emergence of the new covid variant, notification has been issued restrict travel from 6 south african countries and Hong Kong. The emergence of new variant makes it even more urgent to vaccinate all eligible citizens 12 years and older.
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) November 27, 2021
