Pakistan is mulling over administering a third dose of the two-dose Sinopharm’s COVID-19 vaccine to some of its elderly citizens, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health, Dr. Faisal Sultan, has disclosed.
While speaking to a local news channel, the SAPM on Health noted the UAE started administering a third of Sinopharm’s vaccine last month after it came to light that initial and booster doses did not develop the required level of immunity among a small group of elderly individuals. The elderly UAE citizens produced the intended level of immunity after receiving the third dose of the Sinopharm vaccine.
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Dr. Faisal said the UAE made an important and timely change in their COVID-19 immunization strategy and it will also prove to be a reasonable decision for Pakistan at a later stage in its vaccination drive.
The Coronavirus vaccination campaign in Pakistan is still in its initial stages, which is why it is imperative for the government to ensure that the elderly population develops the required level of immunity against the viral infection, Dr. Faisal added.
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Pakistan launched its COVID-19 vaccination campaign with frontline healthcare workers on 2 February after receiving 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China. The immunization drive was later extended to senior citizens as well.
The countrywide Coronavirus vaccination campaign is progressing steadily. During the last week, 265, 831 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered to frontline healthcare workers and citizens aged 50 or above, taking the number of total doses administered thus far to 936,383.
