ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal cabinet has approved a sum of $150 million to procure COVID-19 vaccines in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Federal Minister Asad Umar confirmed the development on the microblogging site, Twitter.
It is expected that Pakistan will procure the COVID-19 vaccine by the first before March 2021.
Asad Umar said, “NCOC today finalized its recommendations for procurement of covid vaccine. These will be presented to the cabinet tomorrow for approval. The taskforce of experts headed by SAPM health Dr. Faisal Sultan had developed the recommendations which were discussed and finalized today”.
The Pakistan Daily (TPD) Investigations Desk has learnt that the vaccine will be given to health workers and people older than 65 in the first stage.
The proposals were made by a task force of experts led by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Dr Faisal Sultan.
Earlier, several volunteers joined the clinical trials of a Chinese vaccine which is considered more suitable for Pakistan according to various government sources.
CanSinoBio and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology China has developed the vaccine.
