ISLAMABAD: A tranche of 2.5 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United States arrived on Friday at Islamabad International Airport. These vaccines were being delivered to the Pakistani people in partnership with the COVAX global vaccine initiative, UNICEF, and the Government of Pakistan, said a US Embassy media release here received. The donation was part of the 80 million doses the United States was sharing with the world, delivering on our pledge to facilitate equitable global access to safe and effective vaccines, which were essential to ending the COVID-19 pandemic, it added.

As President Biden has said, the United States was committed to bringing the same urgency to international vaccination efforts that we had demonstrated at home. “The United States Mission to Pakistan is pleased to share these safe and effective vaccines with the people of Pakistan,” said U.S. Embassy Chargé d’affaires Angela P. Aggeler. “These vaccines will save lives and help Pakistan emerge from this crisis, which has devastated so many families and communities in both our countries. A vaccinated public will also help bring back the economic and social interactions we all welcome. We appreciate the ongoing collaboration with the Pakistani government and our international partners to make this delivery and these goals a reality", she said.

In addition to today’s vaccine donation, the United States has delivered nearly $50 million in COVID assistance through our partnership with the Pakistani government, she added. Since the start of the pandemic, the US envoy said we had worked together to improve infection prevention and control, enhance patient care, expand laboratory testing, disease monitoring, and case tracking in all districts, and support frontline healthcare workers.

Separately, the United States has pledged $4 billion to support COVAX with the purchase and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to 92 low- and middle-income countries. This contribution is supporting equitable access to vaccines for the world’s most vulnerable and at-risk populations, including frontline healthcare workers. In May, Pakistan received 1.2 million doses of the Astra Zeneca vaccine as part of the COVAX effort.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021