(Karachi) In a bid to ensure transparency in procurement of coronavirus vaccine, the government has formed a special cabinet committee, local media reported on Monday.

The committee will be headed by Federal Minister Asad Umar and includes Fawad Chaudhry, Hammad Azhar, Sania Nishtar and Dr. Faisal Sultan as its members. The special cabinet committee will function as an oversight body for procurement of the COVID-19 vaccine, sources said.

The committee’s decision regarding COVID vaccine will be final and it won’t require an endorsement from the federal cabinet.

Earlier, the National Command and Operating Centre (NCOC) finalized its recommendations for procurement of coronavirus vaccine.

The Government of Pakistan allocated an initial funds of $150 million to buy a COVID-19 vaccine directly from international manufacturers by the second quarter of 2021. It hopes to start immunizing its 220 million population soon.

Pfizer claimed that its experimental COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90% effective based on initial trial results. Similarly, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund also explains that its Sputnik V vaccine is 92% effective according to interim trial results.