Background: Earlier in May, Pakistani health authorities had restricted the use of AstraZeneca for people under the age of 40. Protests erupted across the country urging the government to administer AstraZeneca or Pfizer as Saudi Arabian travel guidelines did not approve of Chinese vaccines.
Tensions escalate for Pakistan as Saudi Arabia becomes one of the nations to not recognise COVID-19 vaccination certificates of China-made jabs (1/3) Photo – @ArabianBusiness pic.twitter.com/vLIM9YHXr6
— Global Watch (@GlobalWatch_) June 8, 2021
What happened : Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan said that Pakistanis traveling to Saudi Arabia can get the AstraZeneca vaccine on presenting valid documents. Sultan shared that they have revised the guidelines of the Oxford vaccines to include citizens over the age of 18, if they are traveling to the Kingdom. The changes include that the use of the Oxford vaccine will be extremely limited for those under 40 and the interval between doses will be fixed to 12 weeks. Such changes remain interim as new data surfaces and conditions change. Moreover, Sultan also urged the World Health Organisation to ensure that the vaccines approved by them are accepted universally. Saudi Arabia is one of the only few states that do not recognise the Chinese vaccine and Pakistan is in conversation with the Kingdom to change this.
Attention Saudi Workers !
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health has approved Astrazeneca and Pfizer vaccines, Paksitani workers traveling to Saudi Arabia may get inoculated ( Jabs of Pfizer & Astrazeneca) by showing their saudi Resident Permit at any Vaccination Centre.
— MNA (@Engr_Naveed111) June 15, 2021
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