ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiative Asad Umar has asserted that the PTI government was taking steps to ensure an uninterrupted supply of COVID-19 vaccine.
He expressed his views while addressing a high-level session today (Friday) chaired by Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin to review measures for ensuring the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine across the country.
The session was attended by Asad Umar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan and other concerned officials.
The planning minister further said all countries were adopting measures for ensuring the availability of vaccines. He added that the country is facing a financial load of payments for advanced vaccine supplies.
During the session, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan briefed the participants on contacts with ally countries to acquire the COVID-19 vaccine.
Shaukat Tarin said that the federal government was making efforts to provide coronavirus vaccine to all nationals on a priority basis. He issued directives to ensure the continuation of supplies from the available credit line.
Vaccine shortage
With less than 2% of the total population fully vaccinated, two of the largest provinces in Pakistan — Sindh and Punjab — are facing shortages of coronavirus vaccines, sources said Friday.
In Lahore, only four out of 23 vaccination centres are administering vaccines, sources in the Punjab Health Department said, adding that the number of vaccination centres had been reduced due to a shortage of the jabs.
Similarly, in Karachi, the situation is just as worrying, as 90 COVID-19 vaccination centres have run out of vaccines, according to sources in the Sindh Health Department.
Vaccine procurement
Earlier, it was reported that Pakistan had made a bulk purchase deal of coronavirus vaccines with China. Pakistan had made various agreements of buying over 27.5 million vaccine doses of China-made vaccines, according to sources.
The doses of Sinopharm, Sinovac and CanSino vaccines are being purchased under the vaccine procurement agreements, according to sources. “Under the procurement agreements raw material and prepared coronavirus vaccines being purchased from the Chinese companies,” sources said.
Pakistan has signed a deal of the procurement of 23 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine, according to sources. Sinopharm will provide vaccine consignments to Pakistan in phases till December this year.
