Pakistan to import Chinese CanSino COVID-19 vaccine to package locally: Asad Umar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will import Chinese CanSino Biologics COVID-19 vaccines in bulk to package three million doses locally, Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar said Tuesday.

"We will be getting the bulk vaccine by mid-April from CanSino, from which three million doses can be made," the federal minister, who has been leading the country’s fight against COVID-19, said on Twitter.

Umar said the bulk vaccine received will be formulated, sterilised and packed in Pakistan and special equipment has been procured and manpower is being trained for the purpose.

The first batch of 60,000 doses of the vaccine is arriving today, he added.

Pakistan also expects to receive one million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine in a couple of days.

Earlier this month, Pakistan placed the first order to purchase single-dose Chinese vaccine Ad5-nCoV vaccine for COVID-19.

“We have placed an order for the purchase of CanSino Biologics Inc.’s single-dose vaccine and its first tranche of 60,000 doses is expected to be delivered to Pakistan within a week,” an official of the National Health Serivces told The News.

The official said the single-dose Chinese vaccine can be administered to people of all ages as it was found effective among people from 18 to 80 plus years of age during trials in Pakistan and other countries of the world.

The NHS official added that one-dose was "logistically very good" for deployment in countries like Pakistan.