In a recent announcement, Caretaker Health Minister Dr. Nadeem Jan assured on Friday that Pakistan has not reported any cases of the new Covid-19 variant, JN.1 Omicron. Despite this, he emphasized the nation’s readiness, describing the state of alert as “red alert.”
This declaration comes in the wake of the federal government’s proactive decision to secure 500,000 doses of a Covid vaccine, anticipating the potential global resurgence of the new variant. The procurement plan involves obtaining Pfizer vaccines from the US, recommended by the Emergency Operation Centre’s (EOC) technical advisory group in response to the emerging threat of the JN.1 variant. Approximately 200,000 doses are expected to arrive in the coming week, with the remainder arriving in subsequent phases.
In an address to the Senate, the health minister highlighted Pakistan’s vigilant monitoring of the new variant and emphasized the government’s proactive stance, operating on a “red alert.” He underscored ongoing efforts to establish widespread lab testing systems across districts to facilitate extensive population testing.
Furthermore, the government issued three advisories on the matter, urging the Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to broadcast these advisories via television channels.
Simultaneously, the National Institute of Health Sciences (NIH) issued an advisory to provinces regarding the mutating strain, classifying JN.1 as a Variant of Interest (VOI). The advisory pointed out genetic changes that could influence transmissibility, disease severity, and immune response. The NIH advisory highlighted rapid growth observed across WHO regions, particularly in the Americas, Western Pacific, and European regions, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to manage potential patient influx over the next few weeks.