Pakistani leader receives Sinopharm shot

Pakistani President Arif Alvi and his wife, Samina, on Monday received their COVID-19 jabs with the Sinopharm vaccine in Islamabad, a statement from the president's office said.

The couple received the jabs at a vaccination center after they registered for the shot last month through a service hotline.

A senior official from the country's health ministry confirmed the president received the Sinopharm dose.

"I think the vaccine gives further protection but we will have to take precautions of wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing unless the world fully overcomes the pandemic," the president told reporters after the inoculation.

He also urged the public to take precautionary measures in the wake of the third wave of the pandemic. "The vaccination was never meant to do away with the precautionary measures. Rather, it was meant to give further protection," he said.

Alvi said the deadly disease affects the elderly more than others and could only be tackled through precautions, adding the government has put in place an efficient mechanism for determining priority groups for the vaccinations.

Pakistan received China-developed COVID-19 vaccines from the Chinese government and military last month and launched a massive vaccination campaign. The first recipients are the country's frontline healthcare workers. Vaccination for people over 60 years of age kicked off early this month.

Xinhua