PIA uplifts 5.9 million Covid-19 vaccine doses from China to Pakistan

Beijing: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) continues to uplift Covid-19 vaccines from China to Pakistan as its two special cargo flights transported a new batch of 5.9 million doses of vaccines from Beijing Capital International Airport to Islamabad.

Special cargo flights – PK6852 and PK6853 took off from Beijing Capital Airport for Islamabad on Monday and Tuesday and transported 5.9 million doses, Qadir Bux Sangi, PIA Country Manager for China said.

One August 29, the national flag carriers airlifted around 12 million doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccines through its four special cargo flights.

The 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, he added.

He said that under able leadership of its Chief Executive Officer, Arshad Malik, the national flag carrier has so far airlifted over 63 million doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccine through 49 special flights.

It is worth mentioning that the government under its mass vaccination drive has set a target to vaccinate 75 million population by end of 2021.

Chinese vaccines namely Sinopharm, Sinovac and CanSino besides other vaccines are being used in the mass vaccination drive.

The 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.

The drive began with a focus on the oldest people in the community, generally over the age of 80 but now the vaccine is being administered to the people aged over 18 years.

Islamabad received the first COVID-19 vaccine consignment after a military aircraft transported it from Beijing on February 01, this year.