Staff Reporter Islamabad
The Ministry of National Health on Thursday laid down a set of guidelines for the use of the homemade single-dose Covid-19 vaccine PakVac to ensure its proper storage and efficacy.
According to the guidelines, the vaccine should be stored at a temperature ranging from two to eight degrees Celsius. The vaccine should not be frozen at any cost and be kept away from sunlight.
The health ministry said the PakVac vaccine can only be administered to people above 18 years of age.
People suffering from heart, mental and respiratory diseases, diabetes, and obesity can be administered the vaccine.
It said the vaccine cannot be administered to pregnant women and lactating mothers besides those having fever.
The ministry said Covid-19 patients can be administered the PakVac vaccine only after they recover from the disease.
People undergoing some organ transplant can be administered the vaccine three months after their surgery while those undergoing chemotherapy after 28 days, it said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has made bulk purchase deal of coronavirus vaccines with China, sources said on Thursday.
Pakistan has made various agreements of buying over 27.5 million vaccine doses of China made vaccines, the sources at National Institute of Health (NIH) said.
The doses of Sinopharm, Sinovac and CanSino vaccines being purchased under the vaccine procurement agreements, according to sources.
“Under the procurement agreements raw material and prepared coronavirus vaccines being purchased from the Chinese companies,” sources said.
Pakistan has signed a deal of the procurement of 23 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine, according to sources.