Vaccine doses

This refers to the news report ‘Pakistan places orders for single-dose Cansino Bio vaccine’ (March 10). It is heartening to learn that the government has already ordered 60,000 doses of this vaccine and that arrangements are also being made to partially manufacture this vaccine in Pakistan at NIH Islamabad. I am almost 82 and I participated in the Phase 3 trials of the vaccine a couple of months back. So far, I have observed no side effects. Also, the team that conducted the trial keeps in touch with me and regularly asks about my health while I continue to take all possible precautions.

With Covid-19 infections and deaths rising again due to the recent premature lifting of restrictions and the people’s casual attitude towards the virus, the only practical solution is to vaccinate the maximum number of Pakistanis. As such, the government must increase the quantity of the vaccine doses and also speed up the process for the partial manufacturing of the single-dose CanSino vaccine in Pakistan.

SRH Hashmi

Karachi