Featured CoronaVirus in Pakistan - Updates & Discussion

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DRAP approves emergency use of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine

• Decision comes after announcement that Pakistan is set to receive 2.5 million doses of the vaccine through the UN-backed Covax global vaccine sharing programme
• Vaccine can be administered to people suffering from diabetes, hypertension, and other diseases

Fahad Zulfikar
Updated 01 Jul 2021

(Karachi) The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has approved emergency use of the Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine for people aged 18 years and older, local media reported on Thursday.

The decision has been taken after it was announced that Pakistan is set to receive 2.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine from the United States through the UN-backed Covax global vaccine sharing programme.

All requirements for emergency use of the vaccine by the government have been fulfilled and guidelines issued for the staff and the people.

Under the guidelines, the Moderna vaccine needs special handling and cold chain maintenance to preserve the vaccine’s effectiveness. The vaccine jabs need to be transported safely while storage, administration, and disposal of the vaccine waste must be ensured at all vaccination facilities.

The frozen vials should be stored at temperatures of -25 Celsius to -15 Celsius and protected from light, in the original packaging. It should not be stored on dry ice or below -40 Celsius.
The vaccine should be given to people aged 18 years and older and can be given to pregnant and lactating women, those with comorbid conditions e.g. diabetes, hypertension, congestive cardiac failure, renal failure, chronic liver disease, etc.

Similarly, those who have experienced a mild episode of Covid-19 in the recent past can receive the vaccine once the isolation period is completed. Those with severe Covid-19 can receive the vaccine once they become clinically stable, the guideline stated.

However, people having severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) or an immediate allergic reaction should not be vaccinated. The vaccine is not recommended for persons younger than 18 years of age pending the results of further studies.

Last week, the US president announced his plans to allocate 75 percent unused Covid-19 vaccines through the UN-backed Covax global vaccine sharing programme. The White House unveiled the allocation for sharing the first 25 million doses with the world.

Of the first tranche of 25 million doses, the White House says about 19 million will go to Covax, with approximately 6 million for South and Central America, 7 million for Asia, and 5 million for Africa. The doses mark a substantial - and immediate - boost to the lagging Covax effort, which to date has shared just 76 million doses with needy countries.

 

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Plane carrying 2.5m doses of Moderna Covid vaccines, donated by US, reaches Islamabad


A plane carrying 2.5 million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, donated by the US, has landed at Islamabad International Airport, reports Radio Pakistan.

According to a press release issued by the US embassy, these vaccines are being delivered to the people of Pakistan in partnership with the Covax global vaccine initiative, United Nations Children’s Fund and the Government of Pakistan.

In the statement, Charge d'Affaires at the US embassy Angela P Aggeler has been quoted as saying that these vaccine doses will save lives and help Pakistan emerge from the Covid-19 crisis, which has devastated many families and communities in both countries, the US and Pakistan.

 

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06 Jul 2021

Karachi: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has said that during the last 24 hours, 425,640 coronavirus vaccines were administered across Pakistan.

In a tweet today, the NCOC said that the total number of vaccines administered in the country till now has reached 17,815,986.


Earlier, Pakistan received a shipment of 2.5 million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine from the US in partnership with the COVAX global vaccine initiative and UNICEF.

People stranded in Pakistan due to the unavailability of the vaccines required by Gulf states have started getting inoculated with the Moderna vaccine.

Meanwhile, Pakistan reported 830 new cases and 25 deaths. The national positivity ratio also decreased from 2.97% to 2.22% during the last 24 hours. So far, 908,648 people have recovered from the novel virus in the country.

The NCOC has warned that if Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are not followed then it may impose harsh restrictions. The NCOC has said that SOPs are being violated in places like restaurants, indoor gyms, marriage halls, transport, markets, and tourist spots.

 

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Pakistan hands over seven containers of Covid supplies to Afghanistan


Islamabad will extend all possible assistance to Kabul to cope with pandemic, says custom collector


Abuzar Afridi
July 06, 2021

LANDI KOTAL: Pakistan on Tuesday handed over seven containers of Covid-19 supplies to the Afghan government to help fight the pandemic.

The handover ceremony was held at the Turkham border which was attended by Afghan and Pakistani health officials while Chief Custom Collector Asif Mehmood Jah attended the event as the chief guest.

Addressing the ceremony, the customs official said Pakistan has always stood shoulder to shoulder with Afghan citizens during testing times and Islamabad would extend all possible assistance to Kabul to cope with Covid-19.

The trade activities between the two countries suffered a lot due to the pandemic and added that with the cooperation from the two sides the trade activities would be enhanced once the situation returns to normal, Asif Mehmood added.

The custom collector said both the neighbouring countries can deal with the Covid-19 pandemic if people get vaccinated against coronavirus.

Speaking on the occasion, Afghan Consulate Commercial Attaché Fawad Asghar said that the pandemic has badly affected the livelihood of Afghanistan, adding with the cooperation of friendly countries the situation would return to normal.

The Afghan official said that Afghanistan is in dire need of oxygen as the country is grappling with the third wave of the pandemic triggered by new virus variants.

The seven containers compromising medicines, oxygen cylinders, ventilators and other accessories were handed to Afghan commercial attaché.

 

[ghazi52]

Prime Minister
@ImranKhanPTI
thanks to mercy of Almighty Allah, amd congratulates
@OfficialNcoc
,
@Ehsaas_Pk
team and
@StateBank_Pak
for effective Covid-19 response, which has helped Pakistan fare better in emerging resiliently from Covid-19 and returning to pre-pandemic life.

 

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Over 20 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines transported from China to Pakistan

Wed, 7 Jul 2021,

BEIJING, July 7 (APP): Over 20 million doses of Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines have so far been transported from China to Pakistan to prevent and control Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

The Chinese vaccines included 14.5 million doses of Sinovac and 6 million doses of Sinopharm respectively.
A special plane of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) airlifted two million doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine from the Beijing Capital International Airport to Islamabad yesterday, Qadir Bux Sangi, PIA Country Manager for China said on Wednesday.

Around two million more Chinese Covid vaccines will be brought to Pakistan from China within next few days, he told APP.

Pakistan has been using mainly Chinese vaccines namely Sinopharm and Sinovac, although others are also available.

The government has run a massive vaccination drive across the country to achieve the target of providing 70 million doses of vaccines aimed at fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

It may be mentioned that Pakistani health authorities had launched a nationwide vaccination drive with around a million doses of Sinopharm vaccine donated by China, starting with older people and frontline healthcare workers, in March.

The drive began with a focus on the oldest people in the community, generally over the age of 80 and worked its way down.

Initially, the government had to deal with vaccination hesitancy and a shortage of vaccine supplies and had limited shots for people aged 30 or over. Now it is available for the people aged over 18 years.

Islamabad received the first COVID-19 vaccine consignment after a military aircraft transported it from Beijing on February 01, this year.

 

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Vaccine reluctance

Intsab Sahi
July 4, 2021


A belief in conspiracy theories during a global health crisis can prove fatal

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a global health crisis that has crippled leading economies worldwide. Since the beginning of the pandemic in late 2019, millions of lives have been lost.

Many are still battling for survival in overcrowded hospital wards. Healthcare systems all over the globe are in tatters, with unexpected loopholes exposed. Reaching herd immunity through swift vaccination drives is the one solution in sight. Unfortunately, many in Pakistan are finding it difficult to disregard conspiracy theories freely circulating on social media regarding the efficacy and possible side-effects of the Covid-19 vaccines.

In a paper titled, Factors associated with the belief in Covid-19 related conspiracy theories in Pakistan, researchers from Pakistan and the US have identified several factors that shape tendencies to believe in conspiracy theories regarding vaccination among Pakistani adults.

With its limited resources, a troubled economy and an overburdened healthcare system, a country like Pakistan cannot afford public non-compliance of Covid-related safety measures.

Vaccine hesitancy is not new to the country. A considerable segment of the population continues to harbour a troubling attitude towards vaccination in general. Pakistan is one of only two countries where polio remains endemic, primarily due to the failure of vaccination drives.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic has substantially impacted the general population, a lot more than polio, doubts regarding its existence and myths surrounding its nature can have far-reaching consequences for the health safety of millions. To fully grasp the role played by belief in Covid-related conspiracy theories in adding to the resistance towards vaccination, the researchers examined how the perceived risk of Covid-19, sense of national identity, and reliance on traditional and social media shape popular beliefs in conspiracy theories.
To study these phenomena that researchers conducted an online survey. Most participants surveyed were aged between 18 and 49 years. As a country with a massive youth population, it is only fair that the researchers should have decided to take them as their primary study group. Also, those below fifty are the ones who rely heavily on social media, in particular as a source of information.
Speaking to TNS, Muhammad Ittefaq, one of the four researchers, explained that theirs was the first study of its kind. The paper published in Health, Risk and Society Journal “is the first attempt to offer empirical insights emerging from Pakistan, based on the data collected at the start of the pandemic that sheds light on the factors associated with people’s beliefs in Covid-19-related conspiracy theories.”

Since the Covid-19 pandemic has substantially impacted the general population, a lot more than polio, doubts regarding its existence and myths surrounding its nature can have far-reaching consequences for the safety of millions.

The research attempts to find answers to why Pakistani adults are prone to accepting theories with no scientific standing. The researchers hypothesised that risk perception is one significant factor that determines whether one would fall prey to false information or not. The higher the perceived risk of disease, the less likely people might be to believe in conspiracy theories related to it. In the case of the current pandemic, government officials, public figures, and media influencers downplayed the impact of the pandemic by attending massive gatherings, calling regular in-person press conferences, holding parties, and regularly posting images on social media reduced the risk perception of ordinary Pakistanis.

“We tend to believe that Western propaganda is the most difficult to grasp,” says Ittefaq. A collective sense of shared national identity can impact the way people respond to a conspiracy theory. As a nation, focusing on cooperating rather than competing during a crisis can positively affect in-group behaviour patterns.

Instead of finding people and countries to blame for causing a crisis, helping mitigate its impact by following required measures is negatively proportional to belief in conspiracy theories.

The research highlights that trust in traditional media sources can significantly reduce the risk of public reliance on conspiracy theories. It was found that “misinformation about Covid-19 has proliferated via social media.” This makes social media a less reliable source of information in the Covid-19 crisis. Soon after the vaccination drive began, videos started circulating on social media where people claimed those receiving vaccination would die within two years. Others argued that vaccination was a method of mass mind-control by Isreal.

In total, 501 Pakistani adults completed the research questionnaire. The belief in conspiracy theories was examined based on the hypotheses mentioned above and four conspiracy theories, including one that coronavirus is a bioweapon, a hoax for financial gains, a conspiracy to establish an authoritarian government, and a way to cover up for an impending global economic crisis.

Overall, the study’s findings revealed a need for further research to understand the negative relationship between risk perception and conspiracy theories, as well as national identity and suspension of false information in times of crisis. There is much information available about the role of social and traditional media in information dissemination; however, other factors must be studied closely.

The conspiracy theories have caused a significant delay in vaccination. Pakistan is in no shape to afford further reluctance. Covid-19 is a fatal virus that has impacted millions of lives globally. The government, media and researchers have crucial roles to play in these trying times. It is absolutely necessary to properly educate, convince and provide vaccination to the public at the earliest, so that the society can return to a state of normalcy.

 

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NCOC recommends banning air travel for unvaccinated people from August 1

Instructions come in wake of rising Covid-19 cases in the country

BR Web Desk
09 Jul 2021


The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) announced on Friday that those who are unvaccinated will not be allowed to travel by air from August 1.

The NCOC has also made it mandatory for adult students to get themselves vaccinated by August 31.

The forum emphasized the strict implementation of the current SOPs from July 9 to July 18 to contain the spread of the virus, saying that “if effective measures are not taken to contain the Delta variant of Covid-19, its consequences could be disastrous”.

The NCOC also stressed that all private-sector employees should get themselves vaccinated before July 31.

The latest instructions of the NCOC come in the wake of the rise in Covid-19 cases n the country.

Pakistan's coronavirus positivity ratio continued to stay above 3% as 1,737 new cases were reported during the last 24 hours.

The coronavirus positivity rate was recorded at 3.65% on July 8, the highest level recorded since June 4 when the ratio stood at 3.81%. During the last 24 hours, 47,528 tests were conducted across the country, taking the total number of tests conducted to 14,960,221.

Earlier, the NCOC had confirmed the presence of different variants of coronavirus in Pakistan, including the Delta variant, believed to have originated in India.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Imran Khan warned that the fourth wave of Covid-19 is looming over the country and termed the Delta variant "the biggest concern” for Pakistan.

“We fear the Indian variant could strike Pakistan and as a precautionary measure, we need to adhere to the SOPs," said the prime minister in a video message addressed to the nation.

“If we survive the fourth wave, we will be able to save our country,” he concluded.

On Wednesday, the NCOC confirmed the presence of Delta Beta and Alpha variants in Pakistan.

Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar had earlier warned that the fourth wave of the coronavirus could emerge in Pakistan in July if the SOPs are not followed.

 

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NIH says Pakistan earned $10m from CanSino phase 3 trials


Web Desk
July 11, 2021


Major General Aamer Ikram revealed that Pakistan earned a whopping $10mn from conducting phase 3 trials of the Chinese vaccine CanSino.

The head of the National Institute of Health (NIH) was speaking at a function in the city where he disclosed that many countries wanted to hold their phase 3 trials in Pakistan. "These experiments can bring millions of dollars into Paistan," he said.

He further added that Pakistan had also started co-manufacturing the single-dose Adenovirus (Ad5)-vectored Covid-19 vaccine with CanSino Bio at the NIH Islamabad, and claimed that within a year, they were hopeful of earning around $30 million through the joint manufacturing of the vaccine in the country.

Moreover, he said that ''these ventures have opened doors of numerous more such opportunities for Pakistan and now several biotechnological companies from the UK, Korea, Japan and of course China are willing to conduct Phase-III clinical trials of their vaccines in Pakistan''.

 

[Valar.]

Finally we have crossed half a million mark per day.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1414910143356149762