‘Nadra can only issue certificates for double-dose vaccines’

ISLAMABAD: A startling revelation has come to the fore regarding vaccination certificates issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).

According to sources, the system used to issue the certificates has a flaw — it only accommodates double-dose vaccines and does not have the option to issue a certificate for those who were administered a single-dose vaccine.

The sources said people who had been vaccinated with single-dose vaccines have therefore been unable to receive their vaccination certificates from the authority. Pakistan kicked off its vaccination drive with the double-dose Sinopharm vaccine in February and has since also obtained the CanSino Bio vaccine, which is a single-dose vaccine. In the private sector, the double-dose Sputnik V is available.

Sources said a lot of people in Pakistan are getting vaccinated with the single-dose vaccine to quicken the process of getting a certificate so they may travel abroad. Responding to the development, Nadra officials said that the reason why it is issuing certificates only to those who had been vaccinated with a double-dose vaccine is because when the system was developed, Pakistan was only administering double-dose vaccines. "Our system is aligned with the government's vaccination programme," they said.