ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) on Thursday held a special session on COVID-19 vaccine availability and efficient administration to mull over the National Vaccine Strategy being devised to amicably ensure the immunization process.
The NCOC meeting discussed the epidemic curve chart data and the National Vaccine Strategy.
The Prime Minister’s Adviser on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood joined the session via video link.
The Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan, the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Division Khusro Bakhtiar, the Special Assistant on Poverty Alleviation Dr. Sania Nishtar, the Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant General Akhtar Nawaz Satti, the Surgeon General Pakistan Army Lieutenant General Nigar Johar, and the Director-General Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Nauman Zakria attended the special session of the NCOC.
The National Coordinator NCOC General Hamood Uz Zaman Khan updated the forum on the National Vaccine strategy in line with the decision taken by the NCOC.
The forum was briefed in detail by the DG NCOC Major General Asif Goraya that all efforts will be made to help facilitate federating units for smooth vaccine administration.
The forum was told that as per the strategy Front Line Healthcare Workers (FLHW) are in the first stage of the inoculation process of the COVID vaccine whereas in the next level people above 65-year age due to their higher vulnerability to the deadly virus would be administered the vaccine.
During the second stage of the Immunization Strategy, all healthcare workers and people 60 -64 years old would be administered the Coronavirus vaccine, it added.
The forum informed that by the first quarter of 2021, all FLHCW would be inoculated with the COVID vaccine.
The forum briefed that a special online National Immunization Management System (NIMS) was developed by the NCOC in collaboration with the National Information Technology Board (NITB) which would serve as a brain of the entire immunization process and was an online portal.
The forum was told that the Vaccine Administration Cells would be set up at all District & Tehsil Headquarters Hospital and Regional Health Centers to ensure grassroots level approach of the vaccination process.
It was added that master trainers will be trained who would begin the training of healthcare workers for the inoculation process. The training process would initiate at the federal capital and provincial level and the master trainers would further hold training of healthcare workers for inoculation.
