VIPs deserve COVID-19 shot first, says FM Qureshi after Pakistan receives Chinese vaccine 'gift'

ISLAMABAD – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says that VIP persons should be given priority for COVID-19 vaccine jabs despite the fact elderly people and frontline health workers are being preferred in vaccination drive in the world.  

He gave the statement while talking to a private news channel. “VIPs deserve the vaccine first." 

The foreign minister’s views come soon after Pakistan received first shipment of 500,000 doses of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine as gift earlier today.

Contradicting own statement during the talk, he said: “We are trying to give vaccine dosses to frontline workers in the first phase”.

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Furthermore, he said that health ministry should set up an honest system for the distribution of the vaccine. 

Earlier, Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for providing first batch of Sinopharm vaccine.

Talking to media at Noor Khan Airbase, he also thanked President Xi Jinping and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi for China's befitting gesture that once again demonstrated that it stood by Pakistani people in the hour of need.

He said friendship between Pakistan and China is people centric, making the bond stronger.

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