ISLAMABAD: The United States (US) has donated 3.7 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Pakistan under the COVAX programme to assist the country in vaccinating its population against the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a statement issued by US State Department today (Thursday), the donation is part of the 500 million Pfizer doses the United States purchased this summer to deliver to 92 countries worldwide, including Pakistan, to fulfil President Joe Biden’s commitment to provide safe and effective vaccines around the world.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have delivered $63 million in COVID-19 assistance through our partnership with the Pakistani government. Together, we will continue to build a world that is safer and more secure against the threat of infectious disease. pic.twitter.com/ktek7YLvSe
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) August 26, 2021
“Today’s donation of 3.7 million vaccines is in addition to the 5.5 million Moderna vaccine doses that the US government donated to Pakistan in July, bringing the total number of doses sent from the United States to Pakistan to over 9.2 million”, the statement added.
“There is an urgency, now more than ever, to put an end to this devastating pandemic, and Pakistan and the United States are continuing to work together to achieve that goal,” said US Embassy Chargé d’affaires Angela P. Aggeler.
Aggeler further said, “The United States is proud to partner with the Pakistani people to defeat COVID-19. Together, we will continue to build a world that is safer and more secure against the threat of infectious disease.”
“Since the start of the pandemic, the United States has worked together with Pakistan to improve infection prevention and control, enhance patient care, expand laboratory testing, and support frontline healthcare workers,” it added.
COVID-19 situation
Pakistan reported 4,553 new cases of coronavirus during the past 24 hours, taking the tally for confirmed cases to 1,140,411, according to National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).
At least 85 deaths were also reported during the said period. A total of 25,320 patients have succumbed to the virus in the country so far. Moreover, 3,413 recoveries were also reported during the past 24-hour period, taking total recoveries to 1,022,847.
