Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna.
The development comes after the US President, Joe Biden, announced to provide 2.5 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine to Pakistan.
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Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is the seventh that has been approved by DRAP for use across the country. So far, DRAP has approved three Chinese vaccines developed by Sinopharm, Cansino, and Sinovac. Russia’s Sputnik V, AstraZeneca’s AZD1222, and Pfizer’s BNT162b2 are the other three approved by DRAP.
Moderna’s vaccine consists of two doses administered 2 weeks apart. Its efficacy is 50.8% after the initial dose and 92.1% after the booster dose. Two weeks after the second dose, Moderna’s vaccine becomes 94.1% effective at preventing Coronavirus.
The vaccine has been approved for use among adults aged above 18 years. It is also recommended for use in pregnant and lactating women and people with comorbid conditions e.g. diabetes, hypertension, congestive cardiac failure, renal failure, chronic liver disease, etc.
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People who have suffered mild symptoms of Coronavirus in the recent past can receive the vaccine at the end of the isolation period while those who have suffered severe symptoms of Coronavirus can receive the vaccine once they become clinically stable.
The vaccine has not been recommended for people aged less than 18 years. Similarly, it is also not suitable for people who have severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) or an immediate allergic reaction to any of the ingredients of the vaccine.
