500,000 shots of corona vaccine insufficient for Pakistan: Javed Akram

LAHORE: Vice-Chancellor of the University of Health Sciences (UHS), Dr Javed Akram has said that 0.5 million shots of coronavirus vaccine will be on downside of the country’s need, ARY News reported on Monday.

It is to be mentioned here that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has recently said that China will provide 500,000 doses of its Sinovac coronavirus vaccine to Pakistan by January 31.

Dr Javed Akram said that monitoring of the results is also important after administering a vaccine.

Talking here the UHS Lahore’s vice chancellor said that no vaccine yet prepared anywhere to give 100 percent results against the COVID-19. The vaccines prepared so far have an efficacy rate of 75 to 95 pct, Dr. Akram said.

It is pertinent to mention here that after the clinical trial, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had approved AstraZeneca and Sinopharm’s vaccines for emergency use in the country.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said on Saturday that Pakistan will approve the third Covid-19 vaccine in the coming days.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had approved two coronavirus vaccines while clinical trials for Russia’s Sputnik V COVID vaccine has been completed in Pakistan.

“DRAP will give the approval to Russian vaccine for emergency use in coming days as trials of Sputnik V vaccine for Covid-19 have been completed in Pakistan,” announced the minister.

According to a media report, CanSino Biologics has also offered 20 million shots to Pakistan as it gets ready to release efficacy results “in a few days” from phase III trials of the vaccine that have recently been completed in the country, according to its local partner.

The Chinese maker of the single-shot vaccine will be giving Pakistan preferential access and pricing, an official of the local firm said adding that the vaccine has already applied with the DRAP to get approval.