ISLAMABAD – Another batch of 680,000 doses of Sinopharm’s anti-Covid vaccine reached Pakistan on Sunday as the country ramps up mass vaccination drive.
Reports in local media cited that another consignment, containing 680,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine has arrived in Pakistan from China.
A special plane of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) carrying 0.68 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine arrived at Islamabad International Airport from China, per reports. The vaccine doses will be distributed among the provinces according to their requirement.
On Saturday, three special planes of the national flag carrier have landed with a fresh batch of two million doses of Sinopharm vaccines.
Another consignment of 2 Million doses of #SinoPharm Vaccine arrived in Pakistan on 7 & 8 Aug 21 and handed over to MoNHR&C.
Spokesperson NDMA. pic.twitter.com/GgvxwAHGhj
— NDMA PAKISTAN (@ndmapk) August 8, 2021
Meanwhile, Karachi was reportedly facing a shortage of vaccines as thousands of people thronging vaccination centers across the metropolis. The health department officials said vaccine reserves have been exhausted at Dow Ojha Hospital, and Sindh Government Children Hospital, while supplies to inoculation centers at New Karachi, Liaquatabad, and Lyari have been suspended.
The first dose of Sinopharm, Sinovac, and AstraZeneca vaccines are not being administered, while a sparse number of Covid vaccines were available for those seeking a second dose.
Earlier this week, Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination officials said that the federal government decided to procure more than 30 million more vaccine doses in this month.