“The well-being of the world cannot become hostage to rivalries”
Federal Minister of Planning Asad Umar said on Thursday that the health and well-being of citizens around the world cannot be held hostage by global geostrategic rivalries.
Umar, in a tweet, said countries choosing which vaccines are acceptable for travel to that particular country are creating chaos.
“Decisions on vaccine acceptability should be made by a global institution like the WHO (World Health Organization),” Umar added.
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vaccine acceptability decisions should be made by a global institution like WHO. Each country deciding which vaccine is acceptable to travel to that country creates chaos. The health and well-being of the world’s citizens cannot become hostage to global geostrategic rivalries
– Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) June 24, 2021
Earlier in May, it was reported that the Foreign Ministry had raised the issue of Pakistani Hajj pilgrims being vaccinated with Chinese vaccines with the Saudi government after the kingdom denied them entry.
The FO has asked Saudi authorities to register Chinese vaccines, including Sinopharm and Sinovac, in their list of approved vaccines.
The OP informed the kingdom that it was difficult to obtain vaccines from countries other than China.
He added that now that a large population of Pakistanis had received the Chinese vaccine, doctors were not recommending giving them another vaccine.
Pakistani authorities further asked the Saudi Ministry of Health to recognize the Chinese vaccines as they had also been approved by the WHO.