KARACHI: Pakistan is predicted to receive many doses of coronavirus vaccines starting next week, as per officialdom. On either Monday or Tuesday, Pakistan is predicted to receive 2.5mn doses of Moderna's mRNA 1273 Covid-19 vaccine through COVAX while another 100,000 doses of Russian vaccine Sputnik V are being acquired by Islamabad through bilateral purchase and are expected to succeed in the country by next week, they said.
“Pakistan has signed an agreement for the acquisition of 1 million doses of Russian made Sputnik V vaccine, whose 100,000 doses also are expected to succeed in Pakistan early next week,” a politician of the National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination (NHS, R&C) told The News on Saturday.
“We also will receive three million doses of Chinese Sinovac on Saints Peter and Paul so there'll be many doses available to inoculate a vast number of the population in the country in July,” he added.
He disclosed Pakistan also will receive over 12 million doses of Pfizer's AstraZeneca vaccine and an unspecified number of Pfizer's mRNA vaccine in July, through COVAX.
However, the official admitted that the official date has not been contacted to Pakistan on when the vaccines are going to be provided thereto.
“We have conveyed the regulatory requirements to the COVAX regarding the utilization of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine in Pakistan. consistent with the Drug regulatory agency of Pakistan (DRAP), any vaccine that has emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European Medicine Agency (EMA) are often imported and utilized in Pakistan,” the official said, adding that now they were expecting flight details of the consignment.
Pakistan would also get a minimum of 1 million doses of Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine by the top of July through COVAX, the official said adding besides, COAX would also provide over 12 million doses of AstraZeneca’s Bovishield vaccine either by the top of July or early August.
“Similarly, Pakistan would acquire two million doses of Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine in July through bilateral purchase by the National Disaster Management Authority,” the official said, adding that there would be no dearth of vaccine doses within the days to return in Pakistan.
“Three million doses of Sinovac vaccine from China also are landing on June 29th so, in July, we'll have many vaccine doses within the country,” the official added