President Arif Alvi receives the first dose of coronavirus vaccine in Islamabad on Monday. Twitter photo

Gulf Today Report

Pakistan President Arif Alvi and his wife Samina Alvi on Monday got their first anti-COVID jab during the second phase of the vaccination, where elderly people are being inoculated across the country.

According to details, the president and his wife visited the Tarlai vaccination centre in Islamabad, where they were administered the anti-COVID vaccine.

Speaking on the occasion, the president lauded the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) government's efforts to get the nation vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as its smart lockdown policy that he said helped Pakistan sustain itself economically.

Vaccines were being administered according to age in Pakistan, Alvi said. "The elites around the world broke the lines and got themselves vaccinated, however, in Pakistan, it is ensured that everyone gets the jab on their turn," he added.

"I got myself registered at 1166 and got the jab after being informed regarding the venue and date of the vaccination via the helpline,” he said while lauding the government for devising a transparent process in this regard.

He urged the masses to adopt precautions even after getting the anti-COVID jab. "Amid the third wave of the COVID-19, one should wear facemasks, wash hands and maintain social distancing,” the president stressed.

He further said that the policy to impose smart lockdown in the country helped in averting economic losses.

As anti-COVID vaccination for elderly people aged above 60 has begun in the country and there is a laid down procedure on getting oneself register for the jab.

The government has urged elderly people to register themselves for the vaccination process by sending an SMS on 1166 carrying the NIC number.

The 13-digit national identity card number should be entered in the message without any spaces or hyphen.

A reply carrying a pin code would be sent on a similar number and the place and date of the anti-COVID vaccine would then be later conveyed as soon as the availability of the vaccine is confirmed.

After being informed regarding the date and venue, the person getting a jab had to visit the anti-COVID vaccine centre along with the original NIC and pin code. 

After verification of the credentials, the person would receive the anti-COVID jab.