People over 50 years can start receiving the COVID-19 vaccine from Wednesday, April 21, announced Asad Umar, head of the National Command and Operations Centre, on Saturday.
The decision to open vaccination for those in the age group of 50 to 59 years was taken at an NCOC meeting, Umar said on Twitter.
He encouraged people to start registering for the vaccine.
To register, you have to send your CNIC number, without dashes or spaces, to 1166. You can also register on the government’s website nims.nadra.gov.pk.
You will be given two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine 21 days apart. The vaccination through the government is free of cost.
You need both vaccine doses to develop full immunity. While we don’t know the exact duration, most experts say immunity after vaccination lasts between four and six months.
A person develops:
partial immunity two weeks after the first dose
full immunity two weeks after the second dose
Coronavirus vaccination centres across the country will be closed on Fridays, according to the NCOC.
The centres will operate in two shifts in all provinces during Ramazan.
Some private hospitals have also started administering the COVID-19 vaccines, but they aren’t free. The government fixed a price of Rs12,000 for all private vaccines.
