Pakistan is expected to receive an “unspecified number” of doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in the coming months.
A high-ranking official in the Health Ministry, seeking anonymity, revealed that negotiations are well underway with COVAX, a global initiative aimed at equitable access to Coronavirus vaccines led by GAVI, to procure Moderna’s vaccine.
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However, there is no confirmation regarding the exact number of doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine that will be provided to the country and their exact date of arrival in Pakistan.
Moderna’s vaccine consists of two doses administered 2 weeks apart. Its efficacy is 50.8% after the initial dose and 92.1% after the booster dose. Two weeks after the second dose, Moderna’s vaccine becomes 94.1% effective at preventing Coronavirus.
Moreover, Moderna has not yet applied for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
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In case Moderna receives approval from DRAP, it will be the 7th COVID-19 vaccine to receive EUA in Pakistan.
So far, DRAP has approved three Chinese vaccines developed by Sinopharm, Cansino, and Sinovac. Russia’s Sputnik V, AstraZeneca’s AZD1222, and Pfizer’s BNT162b2 are the other three vaccines approved by DRAP.
