ISLAMABAD: The physician heading a Phase III clinical trial in Pakistan for a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine candidate has urged people to volunteer for the trial, overcoming the resistance in the country to immunisation programmes.
Pakistan launched the trial last week for Ad5-nCoV, a vaccine candidate co-developed by CanSino Biologics and a Chinese military-backed research unit.
It is the first-ever large scale trial in Pakistan, which has grappled with disinformation around other long-established vaccines, and attacks on health workers administering them.
Efforts to eradicate polio, for instance, have for years been undermined by opposition from some Islamists, who say immunisation is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western spies.
“There are lots of challenges whenever you introduce something new and a vaccine is part of it. Vaccine hesitancy, unfortunately, with a country like Pakistan is also pretty much high,” Ejaz A. Khan, who is heading the trial at Islamabad's Shifa International Hospital, told Reuters on Tuesday.
"People should come and volunteer, people should not be hesitant. They can take part and become part of the team which is fighting COVID-19."
Khan, who has taken part in immunisation drives for three decades in Pakistan, said even existing vaccines had side effects, and hoped Ad5-nCoV would not fall prey to this discussion.
Shifa International, the first of five trial sites in Pakistan, has repurposed a building previously used for COVID-19 testing for the trial, which it hopes will have 2,000 participants.
Volunteers arrive by appointment, and are recruited through NGOs, hospitals, and corporations.
Volunteers must be over 18, not have tested positive for COVID-19, not have immune deficiencies, and not be pregnant for the duration of the trial. A one-time 2,000 Pakistani rupees ($12) compensation for travel and food expenses is provided, Khan said.
The trial's end point, Khan said, is flexible, but one goal is to show the vaccine is 50% more effective than a placebo.
Once proven, Khan said it was expected Pakistan would be provided with several million doses on a priority basis by CanSinoBio.
Pakistan’s National Institute of Health, which is overseeing the trial, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Pakistan reported 541 new cases on Tuesday - taking the total to 312,263 with 6,479 deaths.
Pakistani doctor urges people to volunteer for COVID-19 vaccine trial
https://arab.news/bnebb
Pakistani doctor urges people to volunteer for COVID-19 vaccine trial
- Volunteers must be over 18, not have tested positive for COVID-19
- The trial's end point, is flexible, but one goal is to show the vaccine is 50% more effective than a placebo, says doctor Ejaz Khan
Pakistan Super League 11th edition to kick off on March 26
- The PSL is Pakistan’s premier T20 cricket league which features a mix of local and international players
- Hyderabad, Sialkot will join the 11th edition of PSL after they were bought for record prices this month
ISLAMABAD: The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) T20 tournament will kick off on March 26, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Friday, which will feature eight franchises competing across multiple venues.
The statement came after a meeting of the PSL governing council at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, which was presided over by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
The meeting began with the PCB chairman and all participants congratulating and welcoming the new team owners of Sialkot and Hyderabad, according to the PCB.
“Detailed discussions were held on various matters including the schedule of the HBL PSL 11, player retentions, adoption of the player auction or a unique combination of auction and draft termed as ‘drauction’ and the option of opening direct signings,” the board said.
“It was decided that the HBL PSL 11 will kick off on Thursday, 26 March as the fans, players and stakeholders look forward to entering the new era of the league.”
The PSL is Pakistan’s premier T20 cricket league which features a mix of local and international players. The league already had six city-based teams which include Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, Lahore Qalandars, Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators.
Hyderabad and Sialkot will join the 11th edition of PSL after they were bought for record prices at an auction organized by the PCB this month.
The board will run the Multan Sultans team for the 11th edition before looking for a potential buyer. The previous owner of Multan Sultans, Ali Tareen, announced last month he was walking away from his ownership of the franchise.
