Pakistan to buy 1m doses of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine: officials
May 31, 2021
- Pakistan in advanced stages of procuring at least one million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 mRNA vaccine, says NIH official.
- First shipment of vaccine can either be delivered in July or August this year to Islamabad, officials say.
- Pfizer officials confirm they are in negotiations with Pakistan for provision of mRNA vaccine.
The government has decided to buy one million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus mRNA vaccine.
A bilateral agreement has been made between Pfizer and the National Disaster Management Authority to procure the vaccines, an official of the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination confirmed.
Officials say Pakistan will receive 1 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine in July or August, while 23 ultra-cold chain freezers have been purchased to store the vaccine.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan also confirmed that they were in talks with the Pfizer to procure the vaccine through a bilateral agreement but added that the deal was not final yet, The News reported.
The Pfizer vaccine will be given to immunocompromised people and those traveling abroad under the age of 40.
Pakistan received the first shipment comprising 106,000 doses of Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine through COVAX on Friday, officials at the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in Islamabad confirmed and said shipments of diluents and syringes also reached Islamabad.
On the other hand, Pfizer officials also confirmed that they were in negotiations with Pakistan for the provision of mRNA vaccine through a bilateral agreement, adding Pakistan initially wants one million doses of the vaccine, which can be delivered to Islamabad in June or July, 2021.
