Page 12 - Pakistan Link - May 28, 2021

P12 – PAKISTAN LINK – MAY 28, 2021 PAKISTAN
Vaccination Drive for All Adults Begins as Top Pakistan Health Official

NIH Starts Production of CanSino Vaccine Doesn’t Foresee India-like Scenario

shifted here and packed
in the NIH.
The machinery was
arranged, staff trained
and finally the first batch
was packed, which passed
the stability test.
The official said
PakVac was used on the
initial batch of 500 doses
but now it was being con-
sidered to use the name
CanSinoBio on the re-
maining vaccine batches.
“The test trial of the
first batch has been com-
pleted, which included
stability test, safety test,
sterility test and spike
protein test. Overall
“Congratulations to the NIH Pak team and its leadership for successful fill/finish (from concen- 120,000 doses have been
trate) of the CanSino vaccine with the help of CanSinoBio Inc. China. The product has passed prepared and a tentative Faisal Sultan said Pakistan was still in the middle of a third wave of infections that
the rigorous internal QA testing. An important step to help in our vaccine supply line,” Special date for the launching began earlier this year, flooding hospitals with COVID patients. But he said he hoped
Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan gleefully tweeted ceremony is May 30,” the the tide of new cases would subside in the coming weeks
NIH official said.
Islamabad: Pakistan on VID vaccination,” Umar NIH, requesting not to Special Assistant to Islamabad: Pakistan’s top health of- doses imported commercially.
Wednesday opened up said. be named, said 120,000 the Prime Minister on ficial said Monday the COVID-19 He said Pakistan after months of
its coronarvirus vaccina- A day earlier, the doses of Covid-19 vac- Health Dr Faisal Sultan variant that devastated neighboring wait received its first supply of CO-
tion campaign to every- government announced cine had been packed and also confirmed that the India, causing record infections and VID-19 vaccines through the UN-
one aged 19 or older as it it had started produc- hopefully a launching vaccine was ready for use. deaths, has not yet been found in backed COVAX initiative, over 1.2
scrambles to protect more tion of China’s single- ceremony would be held “Congratulations to Pakistan. million doses of the Oxford-Astra-
of its 220 million people. dose CanSino vaccine at by the end of the current the NIH Pak team and Faisal Sultan said Pakistan was Zeneca vaccine, earlier this month.
Pakistan initially had the National Institute of month. its leadership for success- still in the middle of a third wave of However, he said Pakistan is relying
to deal with vaccination Health (NIH). “Though the name ful fill/finish (from con- infections that began earlier this year, on vaccines purchased from China
hesitancy and a shortage A tweet by the gov- PakVac was used for the centrate) of the CanSino flooding hospitals with COVID pa- and enough funds were available for
of vaccine supplies and ernment’s official account first batch, there has been vaccine with the help of tients. But he said he hoped the tide such purchases. – AP
had limited shots to peo- said three million doses a change of mind and the CanSinoBio Inc. China. of new cases would subside in the
ple aged 30 or over. of the vaccine would be vaccine would be called The product has passed coming weeks. Tareen Group
But with purchases produced per month CanSinoBio as the Chi- the rigorous internal QA “I don’t foresee an India-like
and donations from Chi- to “significantly reduce nese are sensitive about testing. An important situation in Pakistan,” he told The As-
na and allocations from Pakistan’s dependence on the names of their prod- step to help in our vac- sociated Press. Vows to Remain
the World Health Orga- importing vaccines from ucts,” he said. cine supply line,” Dr Sul- Pakistan recently offered medi-
nization and the GAVI other countries”. “The test trial of the tan tweeted. cal aid to India to help handle the Together
Vaccine Alliance, it has first batch has been com- Pakistan has report- COVID-19 crisis there, but the For-
18 million doses and is 120,000 doses pleted, which included ed more than 900,000 eign Ministry says New Delhi did Lahore: The Jahangir Tareen group
now secured more than
stability test, safety test,
held another huddle here on Tuesday
not respond. Pakistan and India have
infections
coronavirus
keen to get them out into ready for sterility test and spike and some 20,465 deaths. a history of bitter relations and they against the advice of those close to the
the population. protein test. Overall On Wednesday, authori- have fought two of their wars over premier and pledged to seek ‘relief’
“We decided to open launch within 120,000 doses have been ties reported 2,724 new Kashmir since gaining independence for their leader (Tareen).
up vaccination registra- prepared and a tentative infections and 65 deaths from Britain in 1947. Punjab minister Ajmal Cheema
tion for all 19 years and a week date for the launching in the previous 24 hours. Sultan said Pakistan avoided hosted a dinner for the Tareen group
above,” Asad Umar, min- ceremony is May 30,” the Pakistan has ad- a scenario similar to India because at a farmhouse on Bedian Road on
ister in-charge of super- NIH official said. ministered 5.3 million thousands of beds were added to hos- Tuesday to give a “message to the pre-
vising anti-COVID op- With 120,000 doses CanSino was the first vaccine doses with sup- pitals and the production of oxygen mier that they are united to achieve
erations, said in a post on of Covid-19 vaccine hav- Chinese vaccine to have plies from three Chinese was increased as part of a contingency their goal – a clean chit for Mr Tareen”.
Twitter. ing been packed at NIH, undergone clinical trial in companies - Sinopharm, plan. Over 20 PTI lawmakers and Mr
People can sign up the relevant authorities Pakistan and was admin- Sinovac and CanSinbio However, Sultan said that “we Tareen attended the dinner.
from Thursday, he said. are considering reverting istered to around 18,000 - and the Oxford-Astra- are not out of the woods yet” and peo- A member of the group told
“So now registra- back to using the name people. Initially, the vac- Zeneca shots. ple should get vaccinated if they want Dawn after the meeting that they
tion will be open for the CanSinoBio after initially cine was brought to the Pakistan’s private to return to a normal life. would continue holding such huddles
entire national popula- printing PakVac on the country, but later it was sector has imported near- His comments came hours after to ‘make them relevant’.
tion which is approved first batch. decided that concentrate ly 50,000 doses of Russia’s Pakistan reported one of the low- “Although our concerns related
by health experts for CO- An official of the of the vaccine would be Sputnik-V vaccine. est single-day death tolls from CO- to funds for development works and
transfer and posting (of officials in
VID-19 in recent months, with 57
SC Summons High Court’s Record in Shehbaz Case fatalities our constituencies) have been ad-
Pakistan has repeatedly ex-
dressed by the Buzdar administration,
pressed grief over the COVID-19 our main issue is to secure a clean
Islamabad: The Supreme former chief minister was plementation of its order. situation in India, where authorities chit for our leader (Tareen),” said the
Court on Tuesday sum- filed and when it was tak- The AGP contended reported 4,454 new deaths in the last member.
moned the complete re- en up for hearing. that the High Court was 24 hours, bringing India’s total fatali- “We have been given an assur-
cord from the Lahore The government has also seized with former ties from the virus to 303,720 out of ance in this respect too but till he gets
High Court (LHC) and is- made Mr Sharif, Fed- chief minister’s contempt 27 million cases. the relief we will not release the pres-
sued notices to the respon- eral Investigation Agency of court petition for not Pakistan has registered about sure on the government and such a
dents in the federal gov- (FIA) and director general allowing him to fly abroad 903,600 cases and 20,308 confirmed gathering will continue.”
ernment’s appeal against immigration and passport which may result in the deaths since the pandemic began in The rebel group held the meet-
the High Court’s May 7 through the director gen- implementation of the early 2020. ing days before the FIA’s filing of a
conditional permission to eral interior as respon- High Court order, if ac- Sultan said Pakistan would try ‘complete’ investigation report before
former Punjab chief min- dents in the appeal. Attor- cepted. to vaccinate a third of the country’s the court in Tareen and his son Ali
ister Shehbaz Sharif for his ney General for Pakistan Justice Ijazul Ahsan population by the end of this year. Tareen’s cases.
medical treatment abroad. (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan also wondered whether “Pakistan is offering free vaccinations Both the father and the son are
A two-judge Supreme represented the govern- former chief minister to the government had com- to all, there is no discrimination be- on pre-arrest bail in the FIA cases till
Court bench, consisting of ment. After issuing the go abroad for medical mitted contempt of the tween rich and poor,” Sultan said. May 31.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan and directions, the apex court treatment. High Court, adding Mr The government offers Pakistan- Barrister Zafar had been tasked
Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, adjourned the hearing for Justice Sajjad Ali Sharif was a parliamentar- is the Chinese-made Sinovac, Sino- by PM Khan with overseeing the sug-
took up the Interior Min- a week. Shah wondered how the ian and leader of the op- pharm and CanSino vaccines as well ar scam probe last month. Although
istry’s appeal against the The court observed appeal of the government position in the National as AstraZeneca doses. Barrister Zafar says he has yet to sub-
High Court order. The that the government, pri- could be heard when Mr Assembly, requiring re- Sultan said the Pakistani govern- mit his analysis of the FIA probe in
apex court observed that ma facie, appeared to be Sharif had already with- spect. ment has so far vaccinated more than the Tareen case to the premier, there
the record should clarify in contempt of the LHC drawn his application Justice Ahsan ob- 5 million people, compared to only are reports that he has already pre-
when the petition of the decision that allowed the from the LHC for the im- SHEBAZ, P28 35,000 who were vaccinated with sented it to the premier.
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