KARACHI: The health chief of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province announced on Thursday that over 33,000 frontline health workers in her province could lose jobs if they refused inoculation against COVID-19.
In a video message issued earlier this week, Dr. Qaiser Sajjad of the Pakistan Medical Association had acknowledged that there were misconceptions among health workers about coronavirus vaccines. Vaccine mistrust is a longstanding problem in Pakistan where people have for decades refused polio shots.
"If you do not get yourself vaccinated in the coming days, I can assure you that you will lose your job," Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Sindh health minister, warned in a video message.
She said that 142,315 health workers had registered themselves to benefit from the coronavirus vaccination drive, adding that 33,356 of them were now avoiding the jabs due to "some fake news or disinformation about the vaccine."
The minister said she had received the same vaccine and it did not have any major side effects.
"There are people of over 80 to 90 years who have been inoculated without any adverse side effects," she added.
Pechuho informed that there could be minor side effects such as fever or lethargy for a day or two, though she maintained this was "perfectly normal" and should not cause an alarm.
"If health workers do not get themselves vaccinated, they may infect others after coming in contact with asymptomatic coronavirus patients," she said.
The minister continued that there were about 30 countries in the world that had not even launched a vaccination drive.
"Health workers in Sindh should grab the opportunity to get themselves vaccinated while this facility is within their reach," she said.
