The first jab

The first dose of the vaccine against Covid-19 may soon be administered in Pakistan, with the country having reached an agreement with China to import 1.2 million doses of the vaccine manufactured in China by the state-owned Sinopharm Company. The country is expected to begin its use with frontline healthcare workers, then persons over 65 years and then other health workers. After a meeting by the National Control and Operation Centre, it has been agreed that NADRA will use its data to send out SMS or internet messages, advising people when they can receive the vaccine.

While the arrival of any vaccine in Pakistan is good news, it should be noted that there are many unfounded conspiracy theories doing the rounds regarding Covid vaccination. Pakistan must find a way to overcome the conspiracy theories regarding the vaccine, with many of these doing the rounds all over the internet. The conspiracies suggest the vaccine is unsafe, can cause harm, may inject a chip into the human body, which would allow China or giant companies such as Bill Gates' Microsoft to follow the personal activities of the individual receiving the shot, or may even be designed to cause harm to the person for reasons that are not very clear. A campaign to stop this will be required. The Sinopharm vaccine is very similar to the measles or polio vaccine in that it uses a virus that has already been killed.

The main issue for Pakistan may, however, be the question of how many people can receive the vaccine in 2021. While talks are said to be on with at least five other companies around the world to acquire more vaccines and Pakistan will receive some under the COVAX programme, run by the WHO, these may still be insufficient to vaccinate all the people in a country with a population over 220 million. Out of these, it should be noted that children under 18 will however not receive the dose as per international protocols. Meanwhile, former SAPM on health Dr Zafar Mirza has said that, as per his estimates, only frontline healthcare workers will be able to get vaccinated in Pakistan by the first quarter of 2021, and only 20 percent in Pakistan will be able to get the vaccine in 2021. On the other hand, Science Minister Fawad Chaudhary says the private sector has also been authorized to import any approved vaccine. The precise method of the rollout will then need to be seen, with preparations already afoot at district level and tehsil level hospitals, and major vaccination centres in cities being determined For now, the most pressing question though is whether any vaccine rollout by the private sector will be regulated by the state or if people will be left at the mercy of the market.