Special plane transporting Chinese coronavirus vaccine on its way to Islamabad

• A special plane carrying the first batch of the coronavirus vaccine to the country landed in Beijing today and is currently en route to Islamabad
• According to NCOC, all necessary measures have been put in place for vaccine storage in Islamabad
• Earlier this month, DRAP gave authorisation for the Chinese-manufactured Sinopharm and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines
  

A special plane to bring the first batch of the coronavirus vaccine has left Beijing and is on its way to Islamabad, APP reported Sunday night.

Earlier in the evening, the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) chief, Asad Umar had said that loading of the vaccine containers into the plane is underway.

As per details from NCOC, all necessary measures have been put in place for vaccine storage in Islamabad and the move of vaccines to various federating units particularly to Sindh and Balochistan through the air.

A Vaccine nerve centre has been established at NCOC with provincial and district Level vaccine administration.

The coronavirus monitoring centre discussed in detail about the government's vaccine administration strategy across Pakistan, administrative measures, and particularly the movement of the initial tranche of the vaccine.

Read more: 'Good news': Asad Umar says Pakistan can expect 17 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine this year

Earlier this month, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) gave the authorisation for both — the Chinese-manufactured Sinopharm, and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

A day earlier, NCOC chief Asad Umar broke the good news that COVAX has indicated a supply of up to 17 million doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for Pakistan in the first half of 2021.

"Good news on COVID vaccine front. Received a letter from COVAX of [an] indicative supply of up to 17 million doses of AstraZeneca in 1st half 2021," Umar wrote on Twitter.

According to the planning minister, six million of the total 17 million doses will be received by March with delivery starting in February. He did not specify any dates.

"We signed with COVAX nearly eight months back to ensure availability," he added.