The first shipment of the privately-imported Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V has arrived in Karachi.

In January, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had allowed a local pharmaceutical firm, AGP, to import and distribute the Russian-developed Sputnik V. The shipment comprising 50,000 doses arrived at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on Wednesday night. The consignment was received by Russian diplomats, health officials and representatives of the pharmaceutical company.

The vaccine will be provided to large hospitals and institutions which can afford it, AGP said. From now onwards, shipments of this highly effective vaccine will be delivered to Pakistan at regular intervals and help the country fight the pandemic, Russian trade representative in Karachi Ruslan Aliev told * The News*.

AFP officials said that the 50,000 doses can be used to vaccinate 25,000 adults. Around 150,000 more doses of Sputnik V are expected to reach Pakistan by the end of this week, an official said.

Meanwhile, another batch of 500,000 doses of the Chinese state-owned company Sinopharm’s vaccine arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday.