Target is to procure low-cost, safe COVID-19 vaccine in Pakistan, says Fawad

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said that the government's target is to procure the best coronavirus vaccine available in Pakistan at low cost as soon as possible.

Taking to social media platform, the minister informed that the first meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Coronavirus Vaccine Procurement was held yesterday. “Vaccine imports into Pakistan are a complex and important issue,” said Fawad

The minister said that the committee aims to make the best vaccines available in Pakistan at the lowest possible cost as soon as possible. “More important than the price is the safety of the vaccine and the quality will not be compromised,” he added.

The government is in close contact with leading manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines, including Chinese manufacturers. These steps of the government would help in making a final decision on the early availability of vaccines for Pakistan.

It should be noted that the world's top pharmaceutical companies i.e. for Pfizer and BionTec have developed coronavirus vaccines, the shots of which have been given to people in different countries, while the Chinese coronavirus vaccine is also being tested.

Meanwhile, according to an official of the Ministry of National Health Services, the government has already completed all prerequisites to submit the vaccine request to GAVI, through the COVAX facility, a coalition for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines by all countries.

He said Pakistan and other GAVI eligible countries are likely to receive free of cost vaccines for a proportion of the population as well as additional quantities on special subsidized rates.