Pakistan receives first batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine

BEIJING: The first batch of Chinese coronavirus vaccination doses has reached Pakistan; Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan announced on Monday.

China had promised to provide 500,000 doses of Covid-19
to Pakistan by January 31.
Pakistan will start the vaccination drive this week.
A vaccine nerve center has been established at the NCOC with
provincial and district Level vaccine administration.

A special Pakistan Air Force (PAF); plane with the first tranche of Sinopharm vaccine landed in Islamabad earlier today.

On a Social Media website; SAPM Dr. Faisal Sultan thanked China and everyone who made this happen and said the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) and provinces played an instrumental role in tackling COVID.

Planning of Vaccine transportation

As per details from the NCOC; all necessary measures put in place for Chinese vaccine storage in Islamabad; and the move of vaccines to various federating units particularly to Sindh and Balochistan through the air.

A vaccine nerve center is established at the NCOC with provincial and district Level vaccine administration.

China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi during a phone call with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi; last week had promised to provide 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Pakistan by January 31.

Beijing had asked Islamabad to send an airplane to get the vaccines.

Hua Chunying Statment

Later, the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Hua Chunying had also confirmed that in order to support the brothers and sisters in Pakistan; the Chinese government would provide a batch of doses as aid and would actively coordinate with the relevant Chinese enterprise to speed up the export of vaccines to Pakistan.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Pakistan have been working together to overcome difficulties.

Pakistan has approved three foreign anti-COVID vaccines as of now, including the Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, for emergency use in the country.

Government Plans to provide vaccinations to frontline health workers and elderly people in the first phase.