India stops COVAX vaccine exports, retains 10 million doses for itself
28 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses manufactured at the Serum Institute of India under the World Health Organization’s COVAX programme have yet to leave the country due to India’s new export restrictions which have resulted in major distribution delays.
Many poor countries are currently relying on free jabs from India, however aside from a four million consignment received by Nigeria, no other developing nation has yet received its supply, revealed a UNICEF report. On the other hand, India has received about 10 million of the allocated AstraZeneca supply, the most of any country.
Health experts urge elderly to take precautions when getting jab
Doctors and health experts advise Pakistan’s ageing population to consult their physician before getting the Sinopharm jab under the government’s ongoing COVID-19 inoculation drive. They particularly cautioned people who suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer patients, and imnunosuppressant users to seek their doctor’s opinion and inform the vaccination staff before getting the shot.
Moreover, chemotherapy patients, people with blood diseases, pregnant women, lactating mothers, epileptics and people with blood or bleeding disorders should not get vaccinated in order to avoid any possible complications. Meanwhile, the registration of citizens aged 50 and above commenced on Tuesday, March 30. Registered people will be inoculated with the Chinese state-manufactured Sinopharm vaccine which is reported to have a 79% efficacy rate.
Pakistan crosses 50,000 active coronavirus cases
Pakistan’s COVID-19 positivity rate rose to 10.82% on Tuesday as the third wave continues to spread unabated. The National Command and Operating Centre (NCOC) reported 4,757 fresh infections in a single day, taking the nation’s active coronavirus cases to 50,397. Worryingly, 78 patients succumbed to the novel coronavirus disease in the past 24 hours, raising the national death toll to 14,434.