According to the World Health Organization (WHO), safe and effective vaccines are a game-changing tool during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government of Pakistan is also working in collaboration with WHO to vaccinate people. In a previous articles, we provided COVID-19 Vaccination Guidelines for Pakistani Citizens and Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19 Vaccination. In this article, we will provide you with an overview of the COVID-19 vaccines available in Pakistan, their availability, and the prescribed age for each vaccine.

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Available Vaccine Brands in Pakistan

All vaccines, that are currently in use have gone through several trials and phases of testing before being declared safe to use for general population. It is important to know that all COVID-19 vaccines available for use in Pakistan were approved for use in Pakistan after careful studies and consideration of data from vaccine trials by Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) under the guidance of Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (MoNHSRC).

The vaccine safety & guidance policy is also periodically reviewed by these bodies as more data becomes available. There are different types of COVID-19 vaccines currently available in Pakistan, these include the following brands and manufacturers:

  1. Moderna
  2. Pfizer-BioNTech
  3. Sinopharm
  4. Sinovac-CoronaVac
  5. CanSino
  6. PakVac
  7. AstraZeneca
  8. Sputnik V

Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines

As per WHO and other international bodies, these vaccines have been found to be very effective in curbing COVID-19 and protect us from serious illness and hospitalization. According to health experts, all these vaccines have been tested internationally with a variety of infection rates which is why judging the efficacy of these vaccines against each or comparing them is strongly discouraged. You should take any readily available vaccine unless advised otherwise by the government authorities.

To learn about how COVID-19 vaccines protect people from the disease, see the informative video given below.

Eligibility, Possible Side Effects, and Age Bracket for COVID-19 Vaccines

Below is an overview of the availability, possible side effects, and the prescribed age for inoculation for each brand of COVID-19 vaccines in Pakistan, as prescribed by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination. To read more details about each vaccine brand, you can click on the vaccine name to see the guidelines provided by the Government of Pakistan.

Note: The instructions given below are based on the recommendations provided by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC). These guidelines may change from time to time in light of the new scientific research, availability of vaccine supplies, and the decisions made in light of changing circumstances by the Government of Pakistan.

No. of doses

Eligibility

Possible Side Effects

Interval between doses

Not Eligible

Pfizer-BioNTech

2

i. General Public – people aged 5 years and above.

 

ii. Immunocompromised individuals –5 and above.

 

iii. Additional dose for individuals traveling abroad – 5 and above (paid).

Pain, redness and swelling at the site of injection.

Lethargy, headache, and muscle soreness.

Chills, fever, and nausea.

28 days

 

Children under the age of 5 years.

Those who are already vaccinated and do not need an additional shot for travel.

People who have fever at the time of planned vaccination.

Patients infected with COVID-19.

Sinopharm

2

i. General Public – 18 and above.


ii. Individuals who have more than one chronic condition which makes them susceptible to severe illness from COVID-19 infection.


iii. Pregnant women.


iv. Mothers who are breast feeding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Body ache or lethargy


Headache


Pain or redness at the sight of injection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

28 days

Children under the age of 12 years.

 

Immunosuppressed individuals.

 

Those who are on short-term medication for immunosuppression should wait for 28 days after their medication finish.

 

Chronically immunosuppressed individuals can get vaccinated, but its efficacy won’t be the same for them. Such individuals should consult their doctor before getting vaccinated.

 

People who have fever at the time of planned vaccination.

 

Patients infected with COVID-19.

 

 

Sinovac (CoronaVac)

2

i. General Public – 18 and above.

 

ii. Individuals who have more than one chronic condition which makes them susceptible to severe illness from COVID-19 infection.

iii. Pregnant women

iv. Mothers who are breast feeding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Body ache, fatigue, muscular pain, joint pain or headache.

 

Inflammation at the sight of injection, rash or itchiness around the area.

 

Nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite or abdominal pain.

 

Hardening of the tissue at sight of injection.

 

Fever, hot flashes, dizziness or sleepiness.

 

Runny nose, nasal congestion or sore throat.

 

Burn at injection sight (very rare).

 

28  days

 

Children under the age of 12 years.

 

Those who have shown allergic reaction to Sinovac or any other inactivated vaccine.

 

People with neurological issues.

 

People who have fever at the time of planned vaccination.

 

Patients infected with COVID-19.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moderna

2

 

i. General Public – 18 and above.

 

ii. Pregnant women.

 

iii. Mothers who are breast feeding.

 

iv. Students 16 and above who are traveling abroad on student visas.

 

 

 

 

 

Body ache, muscular pain, headache or fever.

 

 

Swelling, redness or pain at the sight of injection.

 

Inflammation of heart or tissues surrounding heart (very rare).

 

28 days

Those who have had allergic reaction to the vaccine (mild and severe both).

 

People who have fever at the time of planned vaccination.

 

Patients infected with COVID-19.

 

 

 

 

 

AstraZeneca

2

 

i. Adults over the age of 40 years.

 

ii. 18 and above – those who have received first dose abroad & their second dose is due while they are in Pakistan.

 

iii. 18 and above – who are required to get AstraZeneca for travel purpose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swelling, redness or pain at the sight of injection.

 

Body ache, muscular pain, headache, restlessness or fever and nausea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

28 days

Women who are under 40 years of age (unless they submit a consent form).

 

People who reported blood clots after first dose.

 

People who have gastrointestinal issues like GI bleeding.

 

People with low platelets count or have veins or arteries blockage.

 

People who have fever at the time of planned vaccination.

 

Patients infected with COVID-19.

Sputnik

2

i. General public - 18 years and above.

 

ii. Individuals who have more than one chronic illness.

 

iii. Mothers who are breastfeeding.

 

iv. Pregnant women should consult their doctor before getting the vaccine.

 

 

 

 

 

Swelling, redness or pain at the sight of injection.

 

Body ache, fever or fatigue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21 days

 

Individuals who develop severe complications after vaccination.

 

People who have fever at the time of planned vaccination.

 

Sputnik V should be given with caution to individuals with thrombocytopenia, and individuals who might have a coagulation

Disorder.

 

People who have fever at the time of planned vaccination.

 

Patients infected with COVID-19.

CanSino Bio

1

 

i.  General Public – 18 and above.

 

ii. Mothers who are breastfeeding.

 

iii. Vaccination is recommended for persons with comorbidities such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and

diabetes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swelling, redness or pain at the sight of injection.

 

Body ache, fever or fatigue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

N/A

 

People who have fever at the time of planned vaccination.

 

Pregnant women.

 

Patients infected with COVID-19.

 

Those who are on short-term medication for immunosuppression should wait for 28 days after their medication finish.

 

Chronically immunosuppressed individuals can get vaccinated, but its efficacy won’t be the same for them. Such individuals should consult their doctor before getting vaccinated.

 

PakVac

1

 

i. General Public – 18 and above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swelling, redness or pain at the sight of injection.

 

Body ache, fever or fatigue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

N/A

People who have fever at the time of planned vaccination.

 

Patients infected with COVID-19.

 

Pregnant women should consult their doctor before getting the vaccine.

 

Individuals with history of asthma.

 

Individuals who have epilepsy, seizures or convulsions or any other kind of brain disease.

 

People who have fever at the time of planned vaccination.

 

Possible Side Effects Vs the Benefits of Getting Vaccinated Against COVID-19

To learn about the possible side effects Vs the benefits of getting vaccinated against COVID-19, see this informative video by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination (NHSRC).

Who Cannot Immediately Get Vaccinated?

While COVID-19 vaccines are being provided for free to citizens aged 12 and above by the Government of Pakistan, there are certain conditions under which an individual might not be eligible to get vaccinated or might need to delay vaccination. These include:

  • People who have fever at the time of planned vaccination.
  • People who have COVID-19 – people with mild symptoms can get vaccinated once their isolation period is over while people with severe symptoms can get vaccinated once they are clinically stable.
  • People who have allergic reaction to any component of a specific brand of vaccine unless reviewed by a health expert.
  • Immunosuppressed individuals:
    • Those who are on short-term medication for immunosuppression should wait for 28 days after their medication finish.
    • Chronically immunosuppressed individuals can get vaccinated, but its efficacy won’t be the same for them.
  • Individuals who have received any kind of transplant surgery should wait for 3 months and then get vaccinated.
  • Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy should wait for 28 days after their chemotherapy session to get vaccinated.

Note: If you have any kind of severe illness, it is best to consult a medical practitioner before getting vaccinated.

NCOC Guidelines and Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline

For detailed information and guidelines on COVID-19 vaccination and Government of Pakistan guidelines, please the website of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) website.  You can also call at Government of Pakistan’s Sehat Tahaffuz helpline for any queries regarding COVID-19 vaccination by dialing 1166.

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