Pakistan is buying 1 million doses of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer, in collaboration with BioNTech, directly from the New York-based pharmaceutical company.
According to details, the first batch of the directly acquired Pfizer vaccine will reach the country in July or August.
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A high-ranking official at the Health Ministry has disclosed that National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was negotiating with Pfizer for the last couple of months and the company recently confirmed the availability of its vaccine, adding that a bilateral agreement is in an advanced stage at the moment.
A senior official at the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) also confirmed that Pfizer has already applied for the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine and DRAP’s Expert Committee is currently evaluating its safety and efficacy data.
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Last week, Pakistan received the first shipment comprising 106,000 doses of Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine through COVAX. The Pfizer vaccine has been stored in 23 Ultra Cold Chain (UCC) refrigerators across the country.
Pfizer’s vaccine will be administered to immuno-compromised population on a priority basis because they cannot be given European and Chinese vaccines, which are not suitable for people having underlying health conditions.
