The federal government has decided to hire more vaccinators in Karachi. The decision comes after a staff shortage caused problems at vaccination centres for overseas travellers.
Border Health Services-Pakistan (BHS-P) plans to hire 100 male and female vaccinators. The new staff will help reduce the shortage and improve services for international travellers.
The demand for vaccination and digital verification has increased recently. This is due to new requirements for travellers, especially Hajj and Umrah pilgrims and people travelling to Saudi Arabia.
100 new vaccinators to be recruited
Health Ministry sources said the new vaccinators will be hired during September. They will work on a daily wage basis. The federal government will pay their salaries.
Border Health Services will hold walk-in interviews on September 28 to select candidates.
Authorities also plan to keep vaccination centres in Karachi open 24 hours a day. This will make it easier for passengers to complete their vaccination requirements before travelling abroad.
Earlier reports showed that Karachi had only one designated vaccination centre for thousands of passengers. As a result, travellers faced long queues and delays.
Some passengers said they had waited for several hours. Some of them had flights scheduled within the next 12 to 15 hours.
NADRA vaccination requirement
The federal government has introduced NADRA biometric vaccination verification for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.
NADRA, Border Health Services and the Ministry of Health are working together to provide digital vaccination verification cards.
The new system will create a digital record of vaccinations. It will also help reduce the use of fake vaccination certificates.
The latest requirement will take effect on September 25, 2026, for travellers from Karachi to Saudi Arabia.
It applies to Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, work visa holders and people planning to stay in Saudi Arabia for more than six months.
These travellers must receive influenza, meningitis and polio vaccinations.
The original implementation date was September 14. However, authorities extended the deadline to September 25 after passengers and pilgrims faced difficulties.
Health authorities have advised travellers to complete their vaccination requirements early. They should not wait until the day of departure.
