Imran Khan
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan oks COVID-19 vaccine procurement from 2 firms - Reports
Moscow/Sputnik: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has greenlighted advance booking of COVID-19 vaccines with two unnamed candidates in the running, media reported Tuesday.
According to news outlet Geo Pakistan, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Nausheen Hamid said that 10 million Pakistani nationals will be vaccinated during the first phase, with the priority given to frontline workers and people aged over 65 years.
No details of the origin of the shortlisted vaccines were given, although Pakistan’s coronavirus taskforce last week indicated that authorities will consider Chinese-made vaccines over US-made ones due to the different requirements in transportation and storage, Geo Pakistan reported.
The vaccines produced by US firms Pfizer and Moderna must be stored in temperatures of -30 to -90 degrees Fahrenheit, requiring what is called a cold chain, a major challenge for vaccine distribution in developing nations.
Chinese-made vaccines, which are currently undergoing third phase trials in Pakistan, remain effective at room temperatures, Geo reported citing the taskforce.
Fewer than a dozen vaccine candidates are showing efficacy in the third phase trials, mainly from the US, Russia and China, while many other COVID-19 vaccine developments are still underway. Many nations have begun scrambling to secure pledges of vaccine procurement before they are mass-produced.
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