'Pakistan writes letter to Gavi for supply of COVID-19 vaccine'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has wrote a letter to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for provision of COVID-19 vaccine free of cost as well as on concessional price to the country, citing the health ministry sources, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The sources at the Ministry of National Health Services have disclosed that Pakistan has requested to Gavi, to supply the coronavirus vaccine free of cost for 20 percent of its population.

The vaccine alliance has also been requested for supply of coronavirus vaccine on concessional rate for other 20 pct population of the country.

Gavi will assist the COVAX member countries in purchase of the vaccine, sources said. It will hold talks with the vaccine makers to fix the vaccine price for the member countries.

Pakistan will likely to receive coronavirus vaccine in March 2021, according to sources.

Pakistan has been a member of COVAX, the global vaccines alliance having 189 countries and vaccine makers as its members.

The COVAX facility is a global collaboration to speed up the development, production and access to COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines.

The members of COVAX vaccine alliance will receive 20 pct vaccines for their population free of cost.

According to sources, Pakistan has submitted its corona vaccination operational plan to Gavi, which has lauded the plan.

According to the statistics of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), in the past 24 hours, 111 more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll to 9,668 in the country. Moreover 1,782 patients have recovered from the virus during the last 24 hours and 2,361 patients are in critical condition.