ISLAMABAD – Parliamentary Secretary National Health Services Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC) Dr Nausheen Hamid on Wednesday said that COVID-19 vaccine would be administered to citizens for free.
She revealed it in a conversation with Geo News, adding that the federal cabinet has approved funds to buy the vaccines.
Hamid said that the government was making efforts to arrange funds for buying the vaccines. Giving a time period when it will be available in Pakistan, she said that it would available by the second quarter of 2021.
She highlighted that Pakistan was also among the few countries where crucial phase-3 study on the vaccine is being conducted.
The parliamentary secretary assured that the vaccine would only be available to people “once its efficacy is proved”.
Hamid said that several research companies are working on the vaccine, adding that Pakistan has shortlisted some firms and initial negotiations are in progress.
The federal cabinet on Monday approved funds to the tune of $150 million for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccine.
The approval was given in cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair. In first phase, vaccine shots will be administered to health workers and people over 65 years of age, local media reported.
Pakistan records 75 new deaths, nearly 3,000 fresh cases of COVID-19
Pakistan has reported 75 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases rose to 403,311 on Wednesday.
The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 8,166, according to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC).
Some 2,829 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
Sindh remains the worst-hit province by the pandemic in terms of cases followed by Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Punjab has overtaken Sindh with the most number of casualties.
So far, 175,642 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 120,356 in Punjab, 47,701 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 17,215 in Balochistan, 30,748 in Islamabad, 6,982 in Azad Kashmir and 4,667 in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Furthermore 3,066 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab 2,962 in Sindh, 1,375 in KP, 169 in Balochistan, 324 in Islamabad, 173 in Azad Kashmir and 97 in GB.
Pakistan has so far conducted 5,584,976 coronavirus tests and 35,197 in the last 24 hours. As many as 345,365 coronavirus patients have recovered in the country whereas 2,244 patients are in critical condition.
