Tag: COVID vaccine

  • WHO warns against mixing, matching Covid-19 vaccines, calls it ‘dangerous trend’

    WHO warns against mixing, matching Covid-19 vaccines, calls it ‘dangerous trend’

     The World Health Organization’s chief scientist on Monday advised people not to mix and match Covid-19 vaccines from different manufacturers, calling it a “dangerous trend” since there was little data available about the health impact.

    “It’s a little bit of a dangerous trend here. We are in a data-free, evidence-free zone as far as mix and match,” Soumya Swaminathan told an online briefing.

    “It will be a chaotic situation in countries if citizens start deciding when and who will be taking a second, a third and a fourth dose.”

    Read More: Study shows AstraZeneca, Pfizer vaccines effective against Delta Covid-19 variants

    The advice came after a study conducted in the United Kingdom earlier found that adopting a mix-and-match approach to Covid-19 vaccines gives a more robust immune response. 

  • Tourism banned in Neelum Valley to curb Covid-19 spread

    Tourism has been banned in Neelum Valley from July 19 to July 29 amid the sharp increase of Covid 19 cases in the country, ARY News has reported.

    The decision came after Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Services, Dr Faisal Sultan announced on Monday that only vaccinated people will be allowed to visit tourist resorts during the Eid holidays from July 20 till July 22.

    People can travel once they are fully vaccinated. Dr Sultan stressed that it is necessary to have a vaccination certificate to travel during the Eid holidays.

    While talking to the media, he appealed to all citizens to follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and to get vaccinated.

    Dr Sultan said that in the last few days, the positivity rate of Pakistan’s Covid-19 cases has jumped from two percent to four percent. The main cause of this surge is violation of SOPs, and the Delta Variant.

  • Eid ul Azha: Only vaccinated individuals to be allowed to visit tourist resorts

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Services, Dr Faisal Sultan, on Monday said that only vaccinated people will be allowed to visit tourist resorts during the Eid holidays from July 20 till July 22.

    People can travel once they are fully vaccinated. Dr Sultan stressed that it is necessary to have a vaccination certificate to travel during the Eid holidays.

    While talking to the media, he appealed to all citizens to follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and to get vaccinated.

    Dr Sultan said that in the last few days, the positivity rate of Pakistan’s Covid-19 cases has jumped from two percent to four percent. The main cause of this surge is violation of SOPs, and the Delta Variant.

    Dr Sultan also said that the government may seek help from the army to implement SOPs, as per sources.

    According to the latest statistics by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 47,015 tests for coronavirus were conducted across the country in the last 24 hours, of which 1,808 people tested positive.

  • Woman claims she got eyesight back after getting first dose of Covid vaccine

    Woman claims she got eyesight back after getting first dose of Covid vaccine

    A 70-year-old woman, Mathurabai Bidve,  from Maharashtra, India claimed that she had regained her vision after taking the Covid-19 vaccine.

    As per reports, Mathurabai lost her eyesight nine years ago after cataract caused the iris to turn white. She claimed that she regained her vision after taking her first Covid jab last month.

    Photo Credits: Zee News

    Meanwhile, the elderly woman, who currently lives with her relatives, took her first dose of the Covishield vaccine on June 26. The very next day after taking the vaccine, she claimed that she gained 30 to 40 percent eyesight from one eye. It’s not yet confirmed by doctors if the woman’s claim is true.

  • Fourth wave of coronavirus ‘could emerge in Pakistan in July’, warns Asad Umar

    Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has warned that a fourth wave of coronavirus could emerge in Pakistan in the month of July.

    “Reviewed the artificial intelligence based disease modeling analysis today in NCOC,” wrote the minister in a tweet.

    “In the absence of strong SOP enforcement and continued strong vaccination program, the 4th wave could emerge in Pakistan in July,” he added.

    The minister concluded by advising people to follow Covid-related SOPs, “Please adhere to sop’s and vaccinate as soon as possible.”

    As per the national tally on Thursday, Pakistan recorded 1,052 new cases of Covid-19 , while 44 people lost their life to the deadly virus.

  • Pakistan allows AstraZeneca vaccine for individuals under 40

    The Pakistan government has revised guidelines for AstraZeneca vaccines and allowed citizens who are 18 or older to get the jab which was earlier restricted to those aged over 40, Reuters has reported.

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan while talking to Geo News, said that Pakistanis who are travelling to Saudi Arabia can get the Oxford vaccine after showing their documents.

    Saudi Arabia has approved four Covid-19 vaccines for those who want to avoid quarantine, namely AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson.

    As of June 15, the total number of vaccines administered in Pakistan has reached 12,067,171.

  • Expats protest, demand Pfizer vaccines ‘only’

    Expats protest, demand Pfizer vaccines ‘only’

    Several overseas Pakistanis protested outside the Mass Vaccination Centre at F-9 Park in Islamabad, on Monday. The expats demanded that they should only be administered the vaccine manufactured by Pfizer, reports The Express Tribune.

    The staff present at the vaccination centre stated that they could only administer the vaccine provided by the government which was not what the expats were demanding.

    As a result of this, expats protested by holding placards and demanded that the prime minister should ensure the availability of Pfizer vaccine for them.

    They maintained that Overseas Pakistanis are a source of billions of dollars coming into the country yet they are being humiliated over a vaccine. They demanded a date be announced for them so that they could get vaccinated.

    Earlier, it had issued guidelines that only a limited amount of Pfizer vaccine was available in Pakistan, therefore, only Haj pilgrims and student and work visa holders for foreign countries would be immunised with it.

  • Saudi Arabia to ban unvaccinated individuals from entering malls

    People who have not been vaccinated will not be allowed to enter malls in Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Commerce Spokesman Abdulrahman Al-Hussein said on Sunday. The decision will come into effect from August 1, ARY News has reported.

    Hussein added that the dressing rooms have reopened and touchscreens are now allowed to be used in shops, malls and commercial centres while ensuring continuous disinfection and social distancing.

    Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday it will allow 60,000 vaccinated residents of the kingdom to perform the annual Hajj.

    The Saudi Hajj Ministry said this year’s pilgrimage would be “open for nationals and residents of the kingdom, limited to 60,000 pilgrims,” according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

  • Why some people get side effects after COVID-19 vaccines?

    Why some people get side effects after COVID-19 vaccines?

    Temporary side effects including headache, fatigue and fever are signs the immune system is revving up. These side effects are a normal response to vaccines.

    Dr. Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine chief said,  “The day after getting these vaccines, I wouldn’t plan anything that was strenuous physical activity,” Peter experienced fatigue after his first dose.

    As per details, the immune system has two main arms, and the first kicks in as soon as the body detects an outsider. White blood cells crowd themselves to the site, provoking inflammation that’s responsible for chills, soreness, fatigue and other side effects.

    This rapid-response step of your immune system tends to fade with age, one reason younger people report side effects more often than older adults. Also, some vaccines simply cause more reactions than others.

    Read More: Lahore gets its first drive-through vaccination centre

    Everyone reacts differently. If you didn’t feel anything a day or two after either dose, that doesn’t mean the vaccine isn’t working.

    The jabs also set in motion the second part of your immune system that will give the real protection from the virus by producing antibodies.

    Another nuisance side effect: As the immune system activates, it also sometimes causes temporary swelling in lymph nodes, such as those under the arm.

    Women are encouraged to schedule routine mammograms ahead of COVID-19 vaccination to avoid a swollen node being mistaken for cancer.

    After hundreds of millions of vaccine doses administered around the world and intense safety monitoring, a few serious risks have been reported.

     A tiny percentage of people who got vaccines made by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson reported an unusual type of blood clot. Some countries reserved those shots for older adults but regulatory authorities say the benefits of offering them still outweigh the risks.

    People also rarely have serious allergic reactions. That’s why you’re asked to stay at the site for about 15 minutes after getting any type of COVID-19 vaccine so that any reaction can be promptly treated.

    Finally, authorities are trying to determine whether temporary heart inflammation that can occur with many types of infections also might be a rare side effect after the mRNA vaccines, the kind made by Pfizer and Moderna. U.S. health officials can’t yet tell if there’s a link but say they’re monitoring a small number of reports, mostly male teens or young adults.

  • Punjab considers blocking SIM cards of unvaccinated citizens

    In a meeting chaired by Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid regarding the Covid-19 situation in the province, several recommendations were given by officials to speed up the vaccination process, SAMAA has reported.

    During the meeting, the option to block the SIM cards of citizens who refuse to get themselves vaccinated against the coronavirus was also considered. Health officials also recommended in the meeting to ban the entry of unvaccinated citizens to shopping malls and restaurants.

    “It is difficult to get rid of the coronavirus pandemic without vaccination,” said Dr Yamin Rashid during the meeting.

    Meanwhile, National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar on Wednesday announced that 10 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered in Pakistan so far.