According to government officials, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife have tested positive for Covid-19. Khan is “self-isolating at home,” according to the country’s health minister, Faisal Sultan. On Thursday, the 68-year-old former international cricketer was given his first dose of Sinopharm’s coronavirus vaccine. In Pakistan, the Sinopharm shot is the only Covid-19 vaccine available.
According to Pakistan’s health ministry, developing immunity to the virus after being vaccinated will take a few weeks, and the public should not be discouraged from getting vaccinated because of Khan’s diagnosis.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan was not fully vaccinated when he contracted the virus. He only got the 1st dose and merely 2 days ago which is too soon for ANY vaccine to become effective. Anti-bodies develop 2-3 weeks after 2nd dose of 2-dose COVID vaccines. #VaccinesWork,” Pakistan’s health ministry tweeted Saturday.
According to Johns Hopkins University in the United States, the South Asian nation of 220 million people has reported 13,799 deaths and 623,135 cases during the pandemic.
While the pandemic has remained largely under control in Pakistan, the number of cases has risen in recent weeks. In certain parts of the country, lockout controls have been tightened in response to increasing infection rates.
Pakistan’s vaccine rollout, which started with the elderly on March 10, has been met with suspicion from some sections of the population, and footage of Khan getting the shot was broadcast in an apparent effort to allay fears.
Following his vaccination on Thursday, Khan urged the public to remain alert and healthy as the country braces for a third wave of the coronavirus. Khan’s spokesman, Shahbaz Gill, was able to distance the Prime Minister from the Sinopharm shot’s positive test result.
“Please do not link it to the corona vaccine. Immunity develops a few weeks after the vaccine is given. Make sure to vaccinate your elders and loved ones. Be careful,” Gill twitted.
Khan had a mild cough and fever, according to Gill, who wished him a speedy recovery.
Khan has been holding daily meetings and recently spoke to a crowd without a mask at a security conference in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.
Syed Zulfi Bukhari, Khan’s special assistant on overseas Pakistanis, said the Prime Minister was possibly contaminated before being vaccinated on Thursday.
“Vaccines are safe and must be taken; #PMIK received his first shot just a day ago, having already been exposed. Please get yourself and your loved ones vaccinated and take action against fake news “Bukhari sent out a tweet on Saturday.
