Pakistan set to approve another Covid-19 vaccine
- By Web Desk -
- Jan 23, 2021
ISLAMABAD: 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, ARY News reported.
While talking in ARY News program powerplay, the Federal Minister and National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) head, Asad Umar, said 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 use Russian vaccine in emergency use in coming days as trails of Sputnik V vaccine for Covid-19 have been completed in Pakistan,” announced the minister.
Speaking about Pakistan’s response against Covid-19, Asad Umar said that the nation played a vital role in limiting the spread of Covid-19 by implementing SOPs in the first and ongoing second wave of the deadly virus.
“When the first wave of coronavirus had arrived in Pakistan, the government took serious steps and organized meetings regarding coronavirus on daily basis whilst Prime Minister Imran Khan had briefed the nation on Covid situation every week,” he added.
Read More: Russia offers Pakistan its Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine
The NCOC said that the world also acknowledged Pakistan’s response against the virus and lauded the smart lockdown policy implemented by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in limiting the spread of coronavirus.
To a question, he said that health workers will receive the Covid vaccine in the first phase.
It is pertinent to mention here that after the clinical trial, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) approved AstraZeneca and Sinopharm’s vaccines for emergency use in the country.
On Friday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that China will provide 500,000 doses of its Sinovac coronavirus vaccine to Pakistan by January 31 and thanked “friend” Beijing for its generosity.
Earlier in December, Russia had offered to supply its Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to Pakistan.
According to a clinical report that seeks to compare the vaccine candidate with other potential Covid-19 vaccines, Sputnik developed in Russia is 95per cent effective and cheaper than other vaccines.