Tag: vaccination

  • Stray dog helpline restored, app to be launched in Karachi

    Stray dog helpline restored, app to be launched in Karachi

    The Project Director of the Anti-Rabies Control Program has said that an app has been developed for the complaint of stray dogs in Karachi which will be launched after Ramzan. A helpline related to the same issue has been restored for the city.

    Geo’s Amin Anwar reports that a hearing was held in the Sindh High Court on action against stray dogs and non-supply of vaccines in the coastal city. The Project Director filed a reply in the court stating that the helpline 1093 for reporting dog bite incidents has been reinstated by the Anti-Rabies Control Program.

    The reply submitted in the court also stated that from January 2022 to March 2024, more than 19,000 dogs were vaccinated, rabies control centers were set up in four districts, and rules were made to control the growing population of stray dogs in the city.

    The program has aimed in the reply that dog population control centers will be established in every district of the province and a notification regarding that has already been issued on February 29.

    The project director of anti-rabies control program also said that a mobile app has been created for the complaint of stray dogs and bite incidents. This app will be launched for the public after Ramzan.

    Citizens can file complaints about stray dogs with photo and address through the app. Stray dogs will be vaccinated after that.

    The court adjourned till May 4.

  • Poonam Pandey slammed on social media for faking death

    Poonam Pandey slammed on social media for faking death

    Poonam Pandey is not dead!

    Yes, yes, we are surprised too.

    The Bollywood actress and model has revealed that the shocking news of her death was a planned campaign to fovus attention on the important issue of cervical cancer.

    In a video posted on her Instagram today, the 32-year-old actress said, “I’m alive and well, I didn’t die of cervical cancer.”

    Poonam apologized to her fans who were genuinely upset by the false news of her death. People on social media criticized the unusual way of raising awareness about cervical cancer, and there are calls for legal action against her.

    In a series of videos, Pandey passionately talked about the importance of being aware of cervical cancer and how it can be prevented through early vaccination. She asked people to take the matter seriously, saying that awareness and vaccination can save lives. Although she acknowledged the extreme nature of her approach, she claimed it successfully started important conversations about the often overlooked disease.

    Actress and producer Ekta Kapoor expressed disapproval and suggested legal action, calling it a “wasteful campaign.” Kapoor emphasized the need for responsible and meaningful initiatives for cancer awareness.

    The controversy began on January 2 when Poonam Pandey’s manager announced her death on Instagram, claiming she was in the last stage of cervical cancer. This led to condolences and doubts about the news, with some suspecting a possible hacking of the actress’s account.
    Despite the criticism and calls for legal consequences, Pandey stands by her decision. Her fabricated demise has sparked a nationwide debate on the appropriate methods for raising awareness about critical health issues.

    Here are some people reactions on twitter:

  • Confirmation of polio virus in various cities

    Once again, the presence of polio virus has been confirmed in samples collected from different cities across Pakistan.

    According to officials, two samples from Hangu city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one from Karachi have tested positive for polio.

    These samples were taken from Hangu Civil Hospital and Jani Chowk.

    Reportedly, the polio virus found in Hangu is genetically similar to the virus found in Rawalpindi.

    Similarly, other samples were taken from the Kemari area of Karachi.

    Overall, 27 samples in Pakistan have tested positive for polio virus so far.

    A seven-day anti-polio campaign in Karachi will start from October 2.

    More than 2.6 lakh children will get the vaccine, while children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years will also be given vitamin A.

    During the anti-polio campaign, 3,500 personnel will be on duty.

  • About 830,000 Pakistanis left the country in 2022 in search of better jobs

    About 830,000 Pakistanis left the country in 2022 in search of better jobs

    The Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE) has reported a historic surge in emigrants seeking overseas employment in 2022, with a staggering 829,549 individuals registering for job opportunities abroad. Syed Agha Rafiullah, Parliamentary Secretary for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OPHRD), presented this data to the National Assembly on Wednesday, shedding light on the nation’s growing interest in international job markets.

    Rafiullah went on to explain that although 12.45 million Pakistani workers had registered for overseas employment opportunities since 1971, the COVID-19 pandemic had significantly impacted emigration numbers in 2020 and 2021. Only 224,705 and 286,648 Pakistani emigrants had been recorded in those years, respectively.

    To combat this decline, the government is actively pursuing a diversification strategy, seeking new international employment markets for its workforce. In this regard, the government has already established statements of intent on migration and mobility with Greece and the United Kingdom, and is hopeful of signing a similar agreement with Germany soon.

    Moreover, the ministry is currently in talks with 12 nations, including Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Iran, Lebanon, Kuwait, Libya, Romania, Portugal, and Uzbekistan, to sign memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on personnel export. In addition, 24 social welfare attachés have been deployed to 16 countries to explore new opportunities for Pakistani labor.

    The government is committed to providing Pakistani emigrants with the necessary training in line with the host country’s labor market requirements, as determined by the host country’s Labour Market Analysis (LMA). These measures reflect the government’s proactive approach in promoting overseas employment and ensuring its workforce’s sustainable livelihood.

  • New Covid symptom only occurs at night

    New Covid symptom only occurs at night

    A leading immunologist has warned that a new Covid variant can cause a different symptom that only occurs at night.

    BA.5 was first discovered in South Africa earlier this year. It is a highly-contagious subvariant that can cause night sweats. The variant is contributing to a fresh wave of infections across the world.

    Professor Luke O’Neill from Trinity College Dublin called this symptom “strange”.

    “One extra symptom from BA.5 I saw this morning is night sweats.”

    “The disease is slightly different because the virus has changed. But if you are vaccinated and you’re boosted, it doesn’t progress into the severe disease,” Professor O’Neill added.

    BA.5’s ability to reinfect is concerning to healthcare professionals. It is pertinent to mention that previously, if a person had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, they were considered safe from the virus after one cycle ended. With the subvariants, this is not the case anymore.

  • Red alert: WHO, UNICEF say largest decline in childhood vaccinations in almost 30 years

    Red alert: WHO, UNICEF say largest decline in childhood vaccinations in almost 30 years

    The largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years has been recorded in official data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

    According to WHO, 18 million children did not receive a single vaccine in 2021, which is the largest decline in 29 years, due to Covid-related disruptions, emergencies and misinformation. Around 25 million children around the world missed out on routine vaccinations in 2021, which is two million more than those who missed out in 2020 and six million more than in 2019, highlighting the growing number of children at risk from devastating but preventable diseases. The percentage of children who received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3) – a marker for immunisation coverage within and across countries – fell 5 percentage points between 2019 and 2021 to 81 per cent.

    The decline was due to many factors including an increased number of children living in conflict and fragile settings, increased misinformation and Covid-related issues such as service and supply chain disruptions.

    However, Pakistan returned to pre-pandemic levels of vaccination coverage due to high-level government commitment and significant catch-up immunisation efforts. WHO and UNICEF applauded Pakistan’s efforts to achieve this in the midst of a pandemic, when healthcare systems and health workers were under significant strain.

    “This is a red alert for child health. We are witnessing the largest sustained drop in childhood immunisation in a generation. The consequences will be measured in lives,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director.

    “While a pandemic hangover was expected last year as a result of Covid-19 disruptions and lockdowns, what we are seeing now is a continued decline. Covid-19 is not an excuse. We need immunisation catch-ups for the missing millions or we will inevitably witness more outbreaks, more sick children and greater pressure on already strained health systems,” added Russell.

  • Pakistan to mark one year polio-free

    Pakistan to mark one year polio-free

    Pakistan will mark one year of being polio-free tomorrow. The last infection of the poliovirus in Pakistan was recorded on January 27, 2021, according to officials, and Friday marks the first time in Pakistan’s history that a year has passed with no new cases, reports AFP.

    Lahore became the first polio-free city in the country back in April 2021.

    A five-day anti-polio campaign kicked off on Monday all over Pakistan. About 150,000 health workers are taking part in the five-day anti-polio drive to inoculate 22.4 million children under five years of age, according to a statement issued by Shahzad Beg, the coordinator for polio programme. 

    Hamid Khan, a police constable who was escorting polio vaccinators, was martyred in a terrorist attack in Kohat on Tuesday.

    Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio has not yet been eradicated. To formally eradicate the disease, a nation must be polio-free for three consecutive years. Nigeria was declared free from wild polio in August 2020.

  • NCOC allows people over 18 to get booster shots starting tomorrow

    NCOC allows people over 18 to get booster shots starting tomorrow

    The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday has allowed booster shots for people over the age of 18 years as Covid-19 postivity rate increase around the country.

    “In Todays NCOC session, age limit for booster dose has been further reduced. From tomorrow onwards, citizens over 18 years will be eligible for free booster dose of their choice. Booster (one dose) will be administered after 6 months gap from complete vaccination,” NCOC said in a tweet.

    You can call on 1166 to get the details about the designated centers to get booster shots.

    As per NCOC, Pakistan recorded 3567 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours with seven people losing their lives to the deadly virus.

  • How and where to get your free booster shot in Pakistan

    How and where to get your free booster shot in Pakistan

    The fifth wave of Covid-19 has recently emerged all over Pakistan. Authorities have urged citizens to get vaccination completely and follow strict SOPs. Those who completed two doses of the vaccine can get booster shots from designated centres.

    Eligibility of booster shot

    According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), health personnel, citizens who are above aged 30, and those children who are above age 12 and have weak immune systems can receive booster shots.

    It is important to note for those people who want to get a booster shot, the gap between the second dose of vaccine and booster shot should be more than six months.

    Which vaccine you can choose?

    People can choose booster shots of their choice from four available vaccines which are Sinopharm, Sinovac, Moderna, and Pfizer.  

     Director-General of Ministry of National Health Service, Dr Rana Safdar said, “mix and match has been allowed or booster of the same company, which was administered earlier, can be given as per the choice of the people.”

    Here, the term “mix and match” means those people who had been vaccinated with another vaccine, can get booster shots from the different manufacturing companies.

    Where people can receive booster shots?

    Sindh:

    The media coordinator of the Provincial Health Department, Mehar Khursheed told that people can get booster shots from any vaccination centre in the province. People need to take their vaccination cards and the National Identity cards to get shot in the vaccination centre.

    Punjab:

    According to the spokesperson for the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, doses for booster shots are available in all approved district headquarters hospitals (DHQs) and tehsil headquarters hospitals (THQs).

    Balochistan

    The administration of booster shots had started already from December 30 according to the Provincial Coronavirus cell in charge Dr Naqeebullah. The facility of booster shots is available at 96 vaccination centres in the province. He notified that the people who got the dose for booster were all above aged 30 with six month time period gap from the second dose of vaccination.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

    Director-General Health Department Niaz Mohammad said that all approved vaccines are available to vaccination across the province for booster shots. People need to take their vaccination cards to get a dose of the booster.

    Islamabad

    According to the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, Sajid Shah, all Chinese manufacturing vaccines, Sinopharm and Sinovac are available in all vaccination centres for booster shots however for other vaccines Moderna and Pfizer are available in mass vaccination centres.

    Azad Jammu and Kashmir

    Divisional Monitoring Officer for Covid-19 Vaccination, Shafaq Malik said that people can get booster shots from any of the approved vaccines available at currently 142 centres in the region.

  • UN chief condemns travel restrictions, calls it ‘travel apartheid’

    UN chief condemns travel restrictions, calls it ‘travel apartheid’

    United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that a travel ban imposed because of the Covid pandemic that cuts off any one country or region as “not only deeply unfair and punitive – they are ineffective.”, report Geo News.

    Guterres said that tests should continually be performed on travelers to reduce the threat of transmission in other parts of the world.

    He further added, “We have the instruments to have safe travel. Let’s use those instruments to avoid this kind, of allow me to say, travel apartheid, which I think is unacceptable.”

    The new variant of the coronavirus, which was previously identified as B.1.1.529 infection was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) from South Africa on November 24 and named it Omicron.

    Several countries, including Pakistan, have completely banned flights from some countries in Africa.

    In African countries, the rate of vaccination was recorded as very low which Guterres has previously alarmed the world about. The main reason for the lack of vaccination was the inequality distribution of vaccines and low immunisation rates which became “a breeding ground for variants.”

    The annual meeting was also held between the United Nation and African Union to solve the concern of the travel ban.

    Speaking from the Joint-Conference with UN Secretary-General, African Union Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat also said that the travel ban cannot be justified.