News Desk
The National Immunization Drive against the novel coronavirus started simultaneously in all federating units across the country on Wednesday.
According to media reports, health workers were the first to receive the vaccine at a special ceremony at National Command and Operation Center in Islamabad, a day after 500,000 doses of the vaccine arrived as a gift from China.
The inauguration ceremonies were held in major cities of all provinces as well as in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. The ceremonies were attended by the respective chief executives and other high ranking officials.
The Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar, who is also the chair of the NCOC, spoke to all the federating units through video link along with the Prime Minister’s aide Dr Faisal Sultan.
The Planning Minister has said on the occasion that the health workers are our real heroes in the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic. He said that this is the reason that it was decided to administer the vaccine to the health workers in the first place.
Asad Umar appreciated China for providing the vaccine to Pakistan. He said China is our true friend that has always stood by us in difficult times.
“It is the because of the government’s effective strategy and the cooperation of the people that we managed to control the spread of the pandemic,” he added.
