Pakistan allocates $100m to buy COVID19 Vaccine
Monitoring Desk:
Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved the allocation of $100m to buy the COVID19 vaccine. The estimated cost of the vaccine is not yet available. The government has made this decision after the US Moderna pharma conducted successful trials of the vaccine.
Moreover, it has been decided that different segments of society, such as senior citizens, health practitioners, and people suffering from chronic diseases, will be prioritized for the vaccine that will be available in limited numbers during the ongoing winter season.
“As we speak no company has announced the cost of the vaccine. Moreover, not a single company has got the approval to sell the vaccine as the clinical trial data is limited. Although international firms — Pfizer and BioNTech — have announced that the phase-III clinical trials of their vaccines had shown 90 percent efficacy in preventing the disease among those who have not contracted the virus, they are in the process of compiling the data. Once data will be completed they will submit it to the United States Food and Drugs Authority and with a similar regulatory authority of the European Union. It may take another four weeks,” said Vice-Chancellor of the Health Services Academy (HSA) and Chairman of the National Vaccine Committee Dr. Asad Hafeez said.
“Companies will get the emergency use or transit permission for use of vaccine and after one year they may get full approval to sell the vaccine. However, there will be no difference for the general public if the vaccine is sold under transit or full permission. The Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) has been interacting and negotiating with half a dozen multinational companies to get the vaccine at the earliest,” he said.
Information courtesy: dawn.com
Pakistan allocates $100m to buy COVID19 Vaccine