ISLAMABAD – Caretaker Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan declared on Friday that Pakistan had yet to report any cases of the new Covid-19 variant, JN.1 Omicron, but stressed the nation’s readiness on “red alert.”
This statement followed the federal government’s decision to secure 500,000 doses of a Covid vaccine in response to the potential resurgence of this variant globally.
The procurement plan includes acquiring Pfizer vaccines from the US, advised by the Emergency Operation Centre’s (EOC) technical advisory group due to the emerging threat of the JN.1 variant. Around 200,000 doses are anticipated to arrive in the coming week, with the rest to follow in subsequent phases.
Addressing the Senate, the health minister highlighted Pakistan’s vigilant monitoring of the new variant and described the government’s “red alert” stance. He underscored efforts to establish widespread lab testing systems across districts to facilitate extensive population testing.
Additionally, the government issued three advisories on the matter, urging Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to disseminate these advisories via television channels.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Health Sciences (NIH) issued an advisory to provinces regarding the mutating strain. The advisory classified JN.1 as a Variant of Interest (VOI), citing genetic changes that could influence transmissibility, disease severity, and immune response, among other factors.
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.
