Coronavirus: Pakistan starts formulation, packing of China's CanSino Bio vaccine

• NIH to produce 100,000 doses of CanSino Bio vaccine by the end of May.
• Locally produced CanSino Bio vaccine will be available for masses by the end of the month, says NIH.
• Raw material enough to produce 120,000 doses of the vaccine arrived in Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has begun work on formulating and packing the single-dose CanSino Bio vaccine locally, confirmed the National Institute of Health (NIH) on Thursday.

The NIH authorities said the raw material for the vaccine's production has been imported from China, adding that work on formulating and packing the vaccine has begun.

"The [locally packed] vaccine will be available by the end of the current month," said NIH authorities.

The health institute said it would be able to prepare 100,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of May, adding that its raw material was imported to Pakistan on the night of May 4.

"Raw material enough to produce 120,000 doses of the CanSino Bio vaccine was imported to Pakistan," confirmed NIH authorities.

Chinese experts in Pakistan to help produce CanSino Bio vaccine

NIH officials had earlier announced that Pakistan would start packaging the vaccine in May.

The NIH officials had said the arrangements to prepare CanSino Bio's coronavirus vaccine were already completed, adding that they were waiting for the raw material of the vaccine to arrive in Pakistan.

Chinese experts are also present in Islamabad to help in the preparation of the vaccine, the official had revealed, adding that the NIH had started the venture in collaboration with a Chinese company.