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Pakistan likely to get second tranche of Sinopharm vaccine

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is likely to get the second batch of a Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine, Sinopharm, within next 24 hours.

Sources said China will provide another half a million doses of the vaccine. They said all measures to procure a Russian vaccine, Sputnik-IV, have also been finalised.

The sources within the health ministry said the government green-lighted procurement of the Russian jab for a limited period. Moreover, the country is likely to get doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from COVAX by the end of this month.

A countrywide Covid vaccination drive started Wednesday last. 0.5 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine gifted by China is being used in the first phase. Sindh has been provided 84,000 doses of the vaccine, Punjab 70,000, KP 65,000, and Balochistan 10,300 doses.

On Monday, a special Pakistan Air Force (PAF) plane carrying the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine had reached Islamabad.

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