Pakistan approves Sinopharm, Sputnik V vaccines for people above 60 years

• The decision was based upon release of vaccine trials' data from China, UAE, Bahrain
• DRAP says Sinopharm was being administered to people under 60 until now
• Sinopharm was being used to inoculate frontline healthcare workers

Pakistan's drug regulator has approved two coronavirus vaccines for people above 60 years of age, as the country's infections tally nears 600,000.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan's (DRAP) officials said the decision was made during a meeting of the body — and it was based on recommendations from a six-member specialist committee.

The body has approved China's Sinopharm and Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccines for inoculations, while the former was already being used to vaccinate frontline health workers.

Read more: Pakistan to receive more than 10m free coronavirus vaccines from COVAX

The DRAP officials said that until now, the Sinopharm vaccine was being administered to people up to the age of 60 years, however, it would now be used to inoculate citizens above 60 years of age too.

Shedding more light on the basis of the decision, the officials said they made the call after examining data from China, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates.

Meanwhile, Pakistan will be among the biggest recipients of free COVID-19 vaccines before June — more than 10 million doses — the COVAX scheme had announced on Tuesday.

Read more: Pakistan to get 5.6mn coronavirus vaccines doses in March

Some 238.2 million doses will be distributed around the world by the end of May through the programme aimed at boosting access to coronavirus jabs in poorer nations.