Vaccine shortage shuts down most of Karachi’s vaccination centres

As the shortage of coronavirus vaccine worsened throughout Pakistan, most of the vaccination centres have been shut down in Karachi while administering of the first dose in Lahore has also been slowed down, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Sources in Sindh Health Department divulged that the small vaccination centres have been closed down to maintain the vaccine supply to the main vaccination centres in all the districts.

The sources said the closure of the centres was due to the non-supply of the vaccine doses by the federal government.

Thirty of the 40 vaccination centres of Karachi’s District South have been shut down, said DHO South Office.

DHO District West Office said 21 vaccination centre also stopped functioning due to the shortage of the Covid jabs. Only Mass Centre at the Qatar Hospital has been kept active, he added.

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DHO Central District Dr Muzaffar Odho said three of the 18 centres have been shut down.

The situation is not much different in Lahore where a shortage of vaccine’s first dose is persisting. Due to this, the vaccination process is being carried out only at three centres, which are Expo Centre, Minar-i-Pakistan and PKLI.

The dearth of the vaccine also led to a shortening of timings at Lahore’s Expo Centre which was functional for 24 hours earlier.

Quoting sources, the TV channel reported that a new shipment of the coronavirus vaccine is expected to reach the provincial capital on June 19 (Saturday), after which the Expo Centre will again be functional for 24 hours.

Reporters Kifayat Ali and Azmat Awan