Pakistan purchases 12 million Covid vaccines from China

Gwadar Pro

Islamabad: Pakistan has received 12 million doses of Sinovac vaccines from China as it aims to vaccinate every citizen.

Four special flights of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) carried a fresh batch of 12 million doses of Sinovac vaccines from Beijing to Islamabad, the National Institute of Health (NIH) said.

The PIA airlifted the Sinovac vaccine doses purchased from China and brought it to Pakistan for the people under the government’s ongoing prevention and control drive against Covid-19, said a government spokesperson.

A PIA statement said: “PIA special flights PK-6852, PK-6853, PK-6854 and PK-6856 transported 12 million doses of Sinovac vaccine procured from China for vaccination of people under government’s ongoing prevention and control drive against Covid-19 pandemic.”

Under the leadership of its Chief Executive Officer, Arshad Malik, the PIA has so far airlifted 57 million doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccine through 47 special flights.

“Till now, PIA has brought around 17 million doses of Sinopharm and 40 million doses of Sinovac and CanSino vaccines from China to Pakistan,” said the statement.

Pakistani government under its mass vaccination drive has set a target to vaccinate 75 million people by the end of 2021. So far, over 51 million vaccines have been administered. Chinese vaccines namely Sinopharm, Sinovac and CanSino, besides other vaccines, are being used in the mass vaccination drive.

Pakistani health authorities launched the nationwide vaccination drive with around a million doses of Sinopharm vaccine donated by China, starting with older people and frontline healthcare workers, in March this year.