ISLAMABAD: The government has commenced a vaccination drive for people aged 17 years or above from September 1 (today) as part of efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Earlier, people who were aged 18 or older were being immunised against the coronavirus in the country. Last week, Asad Umar, the head of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan announced new steps to combat the number of COVID-19 cases.
They announced that 17-year-olds will be able to receive coronavirus vaccine shots from September. They also said Pakistan is preparing to offer inoculations to 15-year-olds and disclosed the government’s vaccine mandates for anybody intending to travel or attend school.
The government will shortly begin an immunisation campaign for people aged 15 to 16 years, with a date to be announced soon. They added that residents with impaired immune systems aged 12 and up will also receive the COVID-19 shots.
Vaccinations mandatory for students
Meanwhile, the Sindh Education and Literacy Department has made vaccination mandatory for students of classes 9, 10 and intermediate Part I and II.
An official notification issued by the education department stated that students in all the public and private educational institutes in the province must be inoculated against COVID-19.
Educational institutes are directed to cooperate with relevant DHOs for student vaccinations and provide space and necessary facilities to the Health Department teams for the purpose.
Earlier, Sindh government decided to launch a mass vaccination drive in schools and colleges in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho and Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah announced that vaccinations in private and public educational institutes will commence from September 6.
Under the decision, 1.4 million students from grade 9 to grade 12 will be vaccinated, while a total of 2,527 teams from the Sindh health department will participate in the vaccination drive.
