A shortage of vaccines from Sinopharm, Kexing, and AstraZeneca hits Karachi

• The first dose of Sinopharm, Kexing, and AstraZeneca were not administered.
• Most people are vaccinated with Moderna vaccine.
• After the government issued a warning, people scrambled to get vaccinated.

Karachi: Sindh Health Department officials said on Thursday that with thousands of people pouring into vaccination centers across the city, shortages of Sinopharm, Kexing and AstraZeneca vaccines are witnessing.

Health officials said that vaccine stocks in the Expo Center, Dow Oja Hospital and Sindh Provincial Government Children’s Hospital have been exhausted, while the supply of vaccination centers in New Karachi, Lyaquatabad and Leary has been suspended.

Officials said that the first dose of Sinopharm, Sinovac and AstraZeneca were not vaccinated, and those seeking a second dose could use a small amount of the vaccine.

They said that most people are getting Moderna vaccine.

Health officials said that after the government increased the number of vaccination centers, people have begun to go to nearby drive-through vaccination centers.

They said it will take at least a week to deliver more vaccines to the province.

After the government announced penalties for unvaccinated people, the vaccination centers were overcrowded, including blocking mobile SIM cards and banning access to offices, restaurants, shopping centers, and transportation.

“Individuals are not afraid of corona”

Vaccination queues in some places have been extended by more than one kilometer this week in response to measures designed to help slow the surge in infections caused by delta mutations, which has put pressure on Pakistan’s poor health infrastructure.

“I am not personally afraid of corona,” said banker Abdul Rauf as he lined up at a vaccination center in Karachi, his mask reaching his chin.

“Our salary will be stopped, our SIM card will be blocked, so all of this is there, which is why I completed the second dose.”

Pakistan seeks to purchase millions of doses

Earlier this week, officials from the Ministry of National Health Service Regulations and Coordination stated that the federal government’s goal is to purchase more than 30 million more doses of vaccine in August.

Officials said that as the country was fighting the fourth wave of COVID-19, vaccines were being purchased to keep the vaccination process going smoothly.

On Monday, Pakistan reached the 1 million dose per day mark, and Islamabad became the first city to receive at least one dose of 50% of its eligible population.