Pakistan urges WHO to help resolve vaccine acceptability issue

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 24 : Pakistan has urged the World Health Organisation (WHO) to play its role in getting all vaccines acceptable by countries that have made it mandatory for visitors to be inoculated by certain brands only.
In a letter to WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Secretary General Dr Qaisar Sajjad requested the world health body to help resolve the vaccination issue of people who need to travel abroad because the authorities concerned of some countries had approved vaccines of certain companies only, reported Dawn.
Dr Sajjad said everyone was aware of the fact that different countries were using vaccines of various companies to administer to their citizens.
He said despite knowing this fact, some countries had made it mandatory for visitors to be vaccinated by specific brands, adding that this policy would have devastating effect on international travel and trade.
"Keeping in view the above facts we request WHO to convince such countries to accept all vaccine brands approved by other countries for their citizens, otherwise it will create problems for people who wish to go abroad for employment, business, education, medical treatment and for other purposes," Dr Sajjad was quoted as saying by Dawn.
In Pakistan, apart from AstraZeneca which has arrived through Covax, most of the vaccines being administered are Chinese.
On the other hand some countries, including Saudi Arabia, do not recognise vaccination certificates of Chinese vaccines despite the fact that WHO has registered Sinopharm.