Federal cabinet to decide on retail price of COVID-19 vaccines

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has summoned a session of the federal cabinet on Thursday in order to discuss 22-point agenda that also include the prices of COVID-19 vaccines, ARY News reported.

The federal cabinet will mull over the country’s political and economic situation besides reviewing the steps for containing the spread of coronavirus pandemic and vaccination process.

A briefing will be given to the federal cabinet members regarding the usage of the electronic voting machine and the provision of voting rights to overseas Pakistanis.

Read: China announces to gift more doses of COVID vaccine to Pakistan

The federal cabinet is also likely to decide on the retail prices of COVID-19 vaccines during the upcoming session.

Earlier on March 21, it emerged that the federal cabinet had approved a summary regarding prices of COVID-19 vaccines – Chinese and Russian doses – to be imported by the private sector after a recommendation from the health ministry following approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

Read: Pharma firm shows disagreement over govt price of Russian vaccine

The health ministry had recommended the price of two anti-COVID jabs of the Russian vaccine be set at Rs 8,449. The packet containing four doses of Sputnik-V is set at Rs 16,560 while 10 and 20 doses would be available at Rs40,555 and Rs 81,110 respectively after approval from the federal cabinet.

Moreover, the single-shot COVID vaccine from China – Convidencia – would cost Rs4,225.

Two pharmaceutical companies are importing vaccines from abroad with one hailing from Karachi importing the Russian vaccine while the Chinese vaccine would be imported by a multi-national pharma company.