Pakistan is set to procure the AstraZeneca-Oxford’s Coronavirus vaccine, being manufactured in India, under the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).
According to Federal Planning Minister, Asad Umar, who heads the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), a total of 45 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine will be imported under GAVI.
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While speaking with a local news channel, the Planning Minister revealed that 15 million doses will be ordered and procured during H1 2021 while the remaining 30 million doses will be ordered and procured during H2 2021.
Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, has been manufacturing AstraZeneca-Oxford’s vaccine. Serum Institute of India claims that it is producing more than 50 million doses per month to meet the global demand.
AstraZeneca-Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine is administered in two doses given between four and 12 weeks apart. It can be safely stored at between 2°C and 8°C, about the same as a domestic refrigerator.
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In a separate development, Pakistan has placed an order to procure the single-dose Coronavirus vaccine developed by the Chinese pharmaceutical company CanSinoBIO.
A statement by the Ministry of Health read that the first batch of CanSinoBIO’s COVID-19 vaccine consisting of 60,000 doses will reach Pakistan within a week.