Pakistan receives nearly 12 mln corona vaccine doses: NCOC

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has so far received nearly 12 million doses of corona vaccine, quoting the NCOC ARY News reported on Saturday.

The country has received overall 11.9 mln doses of China’s Sinopharm, Sinovac and CanSino COVID-19 vaccines and AstraZeneca from the COVAX, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said in its statement.

COVAX has provided 1.23 mln vaccine doses of Oxford University’s AstraZeneca, the NCOC further said.

“Large consignments of corona vaccine are expected in Pakistan this month,” NCOC said.

“Pakistan will receive one million doses of Sinovac on May 09, (tomorrow), while 1.5 mln doses of Sinovac will reach Pakistan between Mary 13 to 15,” according to NCOC.

The country will also receive 1.5 mln more doses of Sinovac at the end of this month, NCOC said.

Pakistan’s umbrella body to tackle the COVID-19 crisis has advised people above 60 years of age to get vaccinated as the people above 60 are more vulnerable to the disease.

It is to be mentioned here that Pakistan will also prepare a Chinese coronavirus vaccine locally from this month.

The vaccine prepared by CanSino Bio will be made locally in the beginning of May, the sources at the National Institute of Health (NIH) had earlier disclosed.

“Locally prepared single-dose vaccine will be available for use in the end of May,” sources said.

Pakistan will prepare 20 million doses of the CanSino vaccine, for which raw material will be provided by the Chinese firm in bulk.

Pakistan had earlier said that it will import China’s CanSino COVID-19 vaccine in bulk to package the doses locally.

Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar, who leads the country’s anti-virus strategy, said in a tweet: “The bulk vaccine received will be formulated, sterilized and packed in Pakistan.”