A Good News for those who stuck in Pakistan, Now Pakistan allows AstraZeneca shots for 18 and above

As a great relief to Pakistanis hoping to travel to Saudi Arabia, the government has revised AstraZeneca’s vaccination guidelines, allowing citizens over the age of 18 to receive the vaccination previously restricted to those over 40, announced Tuesday.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan said that Pakistanis who wish to travel to Saudi Arabia can get the given vaccine subject to showing their documents.

The Saudi authorities have not approved the Chinese shots, so people with only those vaccinations still need to quarantine, which is unaffordable for many, Faisal Sultan, a health adviser to the prime minister, said.

“From today, we have lifted the restriction for use of AstraZeneca for below 40 years,” Sultan told a private news channel on Tuesday.

Pakistan has received 1.2 million doses of AstraZeneca under the COVAX facility. Sultan said the government was using diplomatic channels to see if Saudi Arabia would approve Chinese vaccines in future. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) to ensure that the vaccines approved by it are universally acceptable and Pakistan is in talks with the Saudi authorities in this regard. The WHO has granted emergency use listing of eight vaccines, including two Chinese vaccines.