Another 1 mln Sinovac vaccine doses arrive in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: One more stock of 1 million doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Pakistan from China through a special plane of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), ARY News reported on Sunday.

The federal government has expedited the imports of COVID-19 vaccines after the virus spread intensifies in the country. Prior to the arrival of fresh stock, six special planes of the national carrier had brought millions of vaccine doses to Pakistan.

Sources told ARY News that Pakistan has purchased the Sinovac vaccines from a Chinese pharmaceutical company and the stock arrived at Islamabad airport today.

Earlier on May 9, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had announced that Pakistan received nearly 12 million doses of corona vaccine so far.

Read: Health Ministry issues guidelines for AstraZeneca vaccine

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 had 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 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.