Claim: A video captioned “Govt Imposed Ban On Sinopharm And Moderna Vaccine, But Why?” was shared by Facebook page City 42.
Fact: District Health Officer Dr. Zaeem Zia confirmed to Soch Fact Check that the Sinopharm and Moderna vaccines have not been banned by the government.
A video titled “Govt Imposed Ban On Sinopharm And Moderna Vaccine, But Why” was posted on YouTube on 9 September 2021.
The video was then shared on Facebook on 15 September by City 42, a media company with over 2 million followers, with the same caption.
The video, which was viewed over 13,000 times on Facebook, shows a broadcast by City 42 reporting on a government policy to reserve Pakistan’s remaining Sinopharm and Moderna doses for those who have already received the first doses of those vaccines. According to the broadcast, others will only receive the Astrazeneca, Sinovac and Pakvac vaccines.
Soch Fact Check spoke to District Health Officer Dr. Zaeem Zia in Islamabad at the F9 park mass vaccination centre. Dr. Zia confirmed that there is no ban on Sinopharm and Moderna vaccines. He informed us that the remaining doses have indeed been reserved for those receiving their second jabs but to manage supply, not for medical reasons. If more doses of the Sinopharm and Moderna vaccines become available in the future, the government will resume first doses of these vaccines too.
Summary: The government has not banned the Sinopharm and Moderna vaccines, but rather paused the administration of first doses of these vaccines This is to ensure that enough supply is available to complete the vaccination program for those who have already received their first doses of these vaccines