PakVac COVID-19 vaccine passes rigorous testing

Pakistan has locally finished a coronavirus vaccine with the help of Chinese experts after raw materials for the vaccine were transported to Islamabad last month.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan took to Twitter and made the announcement on Monday. 

Dr Sultan congratulated the National Institute of Health for the achievement, adding that the move will step up the country's vaccine supply. He added that the finished vaccine — named PakVac — has passed rigorous internal quality control checks and testing. 

"Congratulations to the NIH Pak team and its leadership for successful fill/finish (from concentrate) of the Cansino vaccine with the help of Cansino Bio Inc. China. The product has passed rigorous internal QA testing. An imp step to help in our vaccine supply line," wrote Dr Sultan.

Back in April, NIH officials had said they would start the local production of CanSinoBio's coronavirus vaccine in May. 

According to the NIH official, the raw material for the vaccine reached Pakistan in early May after which the production of the vaccine was started immediately.