A third dose of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine might be needed for some elderly: Dr. Faisal

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. The moves come after UAE started administering a third of Sinopharm’s vaccine last month after initial and booster doses did not develop the required level of immunity among some elderly individuals.

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 National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), on the other hand, has decided to administer Covid-19 vaccines to citizens aged 80 years and above in their homes. The facility will commence in a few days.

Meanwhile, an American newswire, Bloomberg, has claimed that it would take a decade for Pakistan to inoculate 75 per cent of its population despite the fact that around one million people have already been vaccinated against the deadly virus.

Source: Dawn