Health

Advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to recommend that the agency authorize Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in adults, which the drugmaker hopes can become the shot of choice among some American vaccine skeptics. The panel of outside vaccine experts voted 21-0 with one abstention in favor of the vaccine for those 18 and …

The World Bank has approved $258 million to strengthen primary health care systems and accelerate national efforts towards universal health coverage in Pakistan, a press release issued by the international financial institution said on Wednesday. The National Health Support Programme “complements ongoing investments in human capital and builds on health reforms that aim to improve quality and equitable access to …

British drugmaker GSK said on Monday its vaccine, Priorix, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) in those aged one year and above. The vaccine can be given as two doses, and may also be administered as a second shot to individuals who were previously vaccinated with a …

ISLAMABAD: Half of the population has received COVID-19 jabs in Pakistan in which Sindh tops the vaccination rate followed by the federal capital Islamabad, ARY News reported on Saturday. Sources told ARY News that 52 per cent of Pakistan’s population are fully vaccinated, whereas, 83 per cent of the eligible population has received COVID-19 jabs. They detailed that Sindh has …

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday it was aware of more than 700 global cases of monkeypox, including 21 in the US, with investigations now suggesting it is spreading inside the country. Sixteen of the first 17 cases were among people who identify as men who have sex with men, according to a new …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif returned to the cou­n­try on Thursday after completing a three-day official visit to Turkey. Turkish Minister of Trade Mehmet Mus saw off the prime minister and his delegation at Esenboga Airport. The prime minister termed the visit successful. He had met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and foreign and trade ministers, besides addressing the business …

ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has achieved the desired goal of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign and announced the completion of 100 percent vaccination and immunisation of the target groups in the country. The campaign aimed to vaccinate and immunise frontliners, volunteers, community members of the age groups specified according to the type of vaccine, the elderly and …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday reported seventh polio case of the year 2022 as a minor girl from North Waziristan was left paralysed by wild poliovirus, quoting the health department. Health officials confirmed that an 18-month-old baby girl, a resident of Mir Ali, tested positive for the virus. The overall tally of this year’s poliovirus cases has risen to 7. It …

Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are due to meet this month to decide on whether to recommend authorizing Moderna’s vaccine for children below 6 years old, and Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for children below 5 years old. Here is a look at some of the factors expected to be considered in this decision concerning the last …

GENEVA: The tobacco industry is a far greater threat than many realise as it is one of the world’s biggest polluters, from leaving mountains of waste to driving global warming, the WHO said on Tuesday. The World Health Organisation accused the industry of causing widespread deforestation, diverting badly needed land and water in poor countries away from food production, spewing …