Moderna to be available across Pakistan from Monday

ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre on Saturday said that the Moderna vaccine will be available starting Monday at designated vaccination centres across Pakistan.

Inoculations using the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine have meanwhile already begun at a mass vaccination centre in Islamabad's F-9 Park area.

NCOC also shared a list of the vaccination centres across the major cities of Pakistan where the Moderna vaccine will be available.

According to the list, it will be available at 15 locations in Punjab, 13 locations in KP, six locations in Gilgit-Baltistan, five locations in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, five locations in Islamabad Capital Territory, three locations in Balochistan and two locations in Sindh.

The forum also highlighted the criteria that must be met by the recipient of the Moderna vaccine.

The vaccine will be administered to the following categories, provided they are 18 years of age or older and have NOT received any other currently available COVID-19 vaccines.

A. Those with comorbid conditions, e.g diabetes, hypertension, congestive cardiac failure, renal failure, chronic liver disease, malignancy, etc.

- Those who are chronically immunosuppressed

1. Post organ transplantation, the patient may receive the vaccine 3 months after

transplantation procedure.

2. Post chemotherapy, the patient may receive the vaccine 28 days after chemotherapy.

B. Individuals with a mandatory requirement of vaccination for travel

- Overseas workers who have a mandatory need for travel for employment overseas with valid work visas/iqama in a country where Chinese vaccines are not accepted at present

- Students

- Those travelling for official or business purposes

Women who are pregnant and lactating, falling under the above-listed categories CAN receive the Moderna vaccine.

More doses of the Sinopharm vaccine have also arrived in Pakistan, officials of the ministry of health told Geo News. A shipment of 700,000 doses arrived from China, said the officials.