680,000 more doses of Sinopharm vaccine arrive in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Another consignment, containing 680,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine has arrived in Pakistan from China, as per a report on Geo News.

Health department sources told Geo News that another consignment of the vaccines arrived in Pakistan as the country ramps up its vaccination drive as the fourth wave of the pandemic continues to drive a surge in coronavirus cases. 

A special plane of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) carrying 0.68 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine arrived at Islamabad International Airport from China, the sources added.

The vaccine doses will be distributed among the provinces according to their requirement.

Karachi faces shortage of  COVID-19 vaccines 

On Thursday, Karachi was reportedly facing a shortage of vaccines.

With thousands of people thronging vaccination centres across the city, a shortage of the Sinopharm, Sinovac, and AstraZeneca vaccines is being witnessed, Sindh Health Department officials said.

The health department officials said vaccine reserves have been exhausted at Dow Ojha Hospital, and Sindh Government Children Hospital, while supplies to inoculation centres at New Karachi, Liaquatabad, and Lyari have been suspended.

The officials said the first dose of Sinopharm, Sinovac, and AstraZeneca vaccines are not being administered, while a sparse number of jabs were available for those seeking a second dose.

Govt to procue  over  30mn doses of vaccine

Earlier this week, Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination officials said that the federal government aims to procure more than 30 million more vaccine doses in August.

The officials said the vaccines are being purchased to keep the inoculation process smooth as the country battles the fourth COVID-19 wave.

On Monday, Pakistan achieved the one-million daily vaccination mark, with Islamabad becoming the first city to get 50% of its eligible population vaccinated with at least one dose.