[STEP BY STEP GUIDE] How to get COVID-19 vaccine in Pakistan?

Pakistani government approved three Covid-19 vaccines for emergency use in the country. These vaccine types include:

• Russia’s Sputnik-V
• China’s Sinopharm
• UK’s Oxford-AstraZeneca

Pakistan is expecting its first Chinese vaccine shipment to arrive on the 31st of January. Following this, the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) has finalized the national coronavirus vaccination distribution strategy on Wednesday.

Here’s the simple 8-step guide to obtaining coronavirus vaccine in Pakistan:

Step 1: To avail of vaccine in Pakistan, applicants must send their CNIC number to 1166 through SMS or visit the NIMS website to register the vaccine.

Step 2: After necessary verification based on “Present Address”, the designated AVC (Adult Vaccine Centre) will send a PIN Code to the citizen through an SMS. 

Step 3: If the designated AVC is outside the current tehsil of the individual, he/she can visit the NIMS web portal or call the 1166 helpline to change the designated health facility within five days of receiving the receipt of the first SMS.

Step 4: Upon availability of vaccine at the Designated Vaccination Centre, the applicant will receive an SMS to schedule a confidential appointment for vaccine administration.

Step 5: After successful registration, the citizen will visit the AVC on the appointment date along with his/her original CNIC and PIN Code (mandatory).

Step 6: The vaccination staff will verify the applicant’s CNIC and PIN code.

Step 7: After successful verification, the citizen will be vaccinated. Upon vaccine administration, vaccination staff will enter the details in the NIMS portal, and a confirmation message will be sent to the citizen through SMS. The individual must stay in AVC for 30 min for the post-inoculation monitoring.

Step 8: As individuals are vaccinated, the real-time dashboard for the federal, provincial, and district health departments will be generated automatically.

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