ISLAMABAD: Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel Tuesday urged the parents to get COVID-19 vaccination done during the 5-day immunization drive for children under aged 5-11 which would continue till September 24. “The campaign is successfully continued in Islamabad, Sindh and Punjab schools”, he said while talking to the PTV news channel. He also expressed satisfaction that the Covid-19 vaccination campaign for children was moving forward smoothly which would expand all over the country in the next phases, adding that over 8 million children would receive two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. “The basic aim of the vaccination is to protect the future generation against the virus,” he said. Ministry of Health with the coordination of the Ministry of Education has completed NADRA-based data of school children for the vaccination, he added. The government would carry out the vaccination campaign in different stages, he said, adding that in the first phase 64 million Pfizer doses were approved upon which 16 million doses were yet we have received. The children would be administered two doses for full protection against the virus with an interval of 21 days after the first dose, he mentioned. Replying to a question, he thanked the US government that the US through USAID is supporting the Government of Pakistan’s COVID-19 pediatric vaccination campaign for 5 to 11-year-old children.