ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday chaired a meeting on the coronavirus situation in Pakistan and procurement of Covid-19 vaccines. The cabinet committee, formed on the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines, briefed the prime minister about the recently approved Covid vaccines in the country.

The committee briefed the meeting that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had approved two Covid-19 vaccines – China’s Sinopharm and Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use in Pakistan. The committee told PM Khan that steps are being taken to procure doses of two approved Covid vaccines as soon as possible.

Coronavirus vaccines will be available in the country by the first quarter of the ongoing year, PM told. Speaking on the occasion, PM Imran directed the committee to accelerate measures for the early provision of two coronavirus vaccines recently approved by DRAP.

The meeting was attended by NCOC head Asad Umar, SAPM on Health, Dr Faisal Sultan, Federal Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar and SAPM on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar.