China donates Covid vaccine to Pakistan Army

RAWALPINDI: China has donated a COVID-19 vaccine for Pakistan’s armed forces, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Monday.

The Pakistan army is the first foreign military to receive vaccine assistance from China.

The military’s media wing said the army has decided to contribute the vaccines to the national vaccination drive so it can be administered to frontline healthcare workers across Pakistan, who are “real heroes fighting against pandemic and saving precious lives.”

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“This is keeping with the armed forces’ traditional spirit of ‘nation comes first, always and every time,” the ISPR said.

The army extended its “deepest gratitude” to China for this “magnanimous donation” during testing times.

Earlier, China had gifted Pakistan half a million doses of Sinopharm vaccine which is being administered to healthcare workers across the country.

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A countrywide Covid vaccination drive started Wednesday last. Of the 0.5 million doses, Sindh was provided 84,000, Punjab 70,000, KP 65,000, and Balochistan 10,300 doses.