Govt officials clarify immunity takes time to kick in to prevent vaccine fears
Prime Minister Imran Khan has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-isolating at his residence. Dr Faisal Sultan, an infectious diseases expert and PM’s aide on health, confirmed the news.
It is reported that the premier is feeling mild symptoms at this point in time. He only received the coronavirus vaccine two days ago. It appears that Khan had caught the infection several days before he was vaccinated.
Imran Khan had a very busy schedule in the last few days and had been meeting a lot of people. At a number of these events, the prime minister was seen without a mask which means that the people who met him, or traveled with him in the last week or so will also need to be careful and should get tested for coronavirus immediately.
Ministry of National Health Services combats misinformation
Soon after the news broke out, Twitter was full of two kinds of messages: prayers for swift recovery and misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine.
As PM Imran Khan received his first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine only two days ago, many people connected the vaccination with the infection which led to a flurry of misleading messages on Twitter. However, doctors and government officials rushed to clarify that immunity takes time to kick in after a shot and that they must get vaccinated.
The Ministry of National Health Services immediately explained that the premier was not “fully vaccinated” when he contracted the virus. The vaccine needs to be administered twice before it can take effect. Even after both shots, it can take several weeks before enough anti-bodies are developed.
“He only got the first dose merely two days ago which is too soon for any vaccine to become effective. Antibodies develop 2-3 weeks after the second dose of 2-dose COVID vaccines,” a tweet by the ministry said.
Pakistan’s government is promptly responding to misinformation and disinformation on social media, stressing that safe and effective vaccines are our way out of this pandemic.
Asad Umar says PM may have been infected prior to vaccination
The Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar clarified that the prime minister may have been infected several days earlier. The vaccination he received was after catching the infection. He asked people to continue the vaccination as Imran Khan’s infection has nothing to do with the vaccine.
Hamid Mir gets flak for potentially misleading tweet
Veteran journalist Hamid Mir has received a lot of flak for his tweet which may lead people to question the efficacy of the vaccine being administered. His words that PM got the virus despite being vaccinated are inaccurate. Some quarters believe that this is irresponsible journalism which may lead to vaccine hesitancy in people.
Antibodies don’t magically appear, it takes time
It is important for the masses to understand that the vaccine takes time to create antibodies and they will not magically appear once the vaccine is administered. Generally it takes at least three weeks for the body to make antibodies. Since the vaccine administered to Imran Khan is based on two doses, extra care is a must for at least three weeks after the administration of the second dose. SOPs should still be followed if someone has gone through this period after the vaccination.
Pakistan is currently battling the third wave of coronavirus and the country reported 3,876 confirmed COVID-19 cases and at least 42 fatalities from the virus in the last 24 hours.