1.24m doses of AstraZeneca vaccine reach Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan received on Saturday 1.24 million more doses of AstraZeneca vaccine under the Covax programme, ARY News reported, quoting sources.

A consignment containing 1.24 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses reached Islamabad this morning on board a foreign airline’s flight.

Also Read: PAKISTAN TO RECEIVE 15 MN COVID VACCINES FROM CHINA, COVAX IN JULY: SOURCES

Pakistan had received the first batch of the British vaccine on May 8, the sources in the National Health Ministry said, adding the country had thus far been provided three consignments of Covid vaccines under the Covax programme.

The consignments include 1.62m doses of Pfizer vaccine and 2.5m doses of Moderna.

Covax has pledged free Covid vaccine for 20 per cent of the country’s total population.

Also Read: PAKISTAN RECEIVES 2.5MN DOSES OF MODERNA COVID VACCINE FROM US

The sources further revealed that the AstraZeneca vaccine will be distributed to the provinces as per their needs, adding it would be administered to people with chronic diseases and weak immunity.

Since the British vaccine has been approved by the US and European and Gulf countries, it will also be administered to people travelling abroad.