ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health has issued guidelines with regard to the use and storage of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
According to the guidelines issued by the health ministry on Saturday, AstraZeneca could be administered to a specific age group of men and women. The vaccine shot could be given to the male aged 18 years or above, and the women above 40 years of age, said the health ministry.
In the condition of fever, the AstraZeneca vaccine should not be administered to a person. “Those infected with coronavirus will be administered the vaccine after recovery from the disease,” as per the guidelines.
AstraZeneca vaccine could also be administered to hypertension, sugar and patients of heart ailment, the ministry added. The patients with severe diseases and those having blood clotting complaints should not be given the AstraZeneca shot, mentioned in the guidelines.
A person who underwent an organ transplant could be administered the vaccine after three months of the surgery. According to the guidelines, no data is yet available for the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in people below 18 years of age.
AstraZeneca required being stored at 2 to 8 degree Centigrade temperature. The vaccine will be administered to a person in two doses. The second dose of the vaccine could be administered between four to 12 weeks after the first dose.
It is to be mentioned here that Pakistan has received 1.23 mln vaccine doses of Oxford University’s AstraZeneca on Saturday.
According to Health Ministry’s spokesperson, the first consignment, which includes over 1.2 million AstraZeneca vaccine, has arrived at Islamabad International Airport. Pakistan received the COVID-19 vaccine from South Korea using influence with partner organizations.
National Command Operation Centre (NCOC), in a statement, said so far 10.19 million doses of different vaccines (Sinopharm, Sinovac, and CanSino) have been received in Pakistan.
NCOC also said that one million doses of Sinovac are landing on May 13-15 whereas another 1.5 million doses are expected by the end of May 2021. It also urged all citizens especially senior citizens of 60 years plus age to get vaccinate themselves at priority.
Pakistan was supposed to get the first tranche of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine via COVAX in March, but supply was delayed after the Serum Institute of India (SII) diverted supplies to meet its domestic needs, officials said.
COVAX is co-led by the World Health Organization, the Gavi vaccine alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Pakistan has so far received a total of 4.06 million doses of vaccines for the novel coronavirus.
