Pakistan to receive vaccine jabs under COVAX this week

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is expected to receive vaccine doses via COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility from this week, according to sources.

Sources prior to the development said the first consignment will bring 1.2 million doses of the Oxford-Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine to the country. The shipment is arriving from South Korea.

The first batch is expected to reach the country on Friday, May 7, sources said. Through the COVAX vaccine facility, Pakistan has planned to vaccinate 20 percent of its population free of charge.

COVAX is co-led by the World Health Organization, the Gavi vaccine alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Pakistan has so far received a total of 4.06 million doses of vaccines for the novel coronavirus.

Last month, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced that Pakistan will receive 15 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine from the COVAX scheme as the country continues to battle the pandemic’s third wave.

“Following my meeting with German Foreign Minister, I am happy to announce that Pakistan will receive 15 million doses of the COVID vaccine under COVAX, with a commitment for these to be delivered by May,” FM Qureshi said.