Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar confirmed on Friday, Pakistan will obtain 1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines from two companies of China by the end of this month.
Talking to media officials Asad Umar said that the government had finalized arrangements to import one million doses of coronavirus vaccines which would reach Pakistan in two shipments containing 500,000 each.
“First consignment would reach by March 25 and the second one on 30th. The government will obtain more Covid-19 vaccines next month. We are bringing these vaccines from two different companies of China,” he claimed
The federal minister, who is also chairman of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) for Covid-19, however, warned that the infection rate was rising and people must adopt the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in letter and spirit. If SOPs’ compliance didn’t improve, the government would be forced to place stronger restrictions, he added.
“The NCOC meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday, March 22 at which we would review the situation and if it doesn’t improve a decision of stricter measures can be announced,” said the minister.
On March 17, China gifted another 500,000 doses of its state-owned Sinopharm vaccine to Pakistan while the first consignment of the privately-imported Russian vaccine also reached Karachi on the same day.
A local pharmaceutical company, which was allowed its import, said it would distribute 50,000 doses of the Russia-developed Sputnik V to large hospitals and institutions for administration to people who could afford the jab.
