Pakistan to get Sinopharm vaccine in March

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan had booked about 1.2 million doses of coronavirus vaccine from Chinese manufacturer Sinopharm, which will be available in country by March, a health official said on Tuesday, as Covid claimed the life of another doctor in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking to state television, Federal Parliamentary Secretary on National Health Services Dr Nausheen Hamid said in the first phase, frontline healthcare workers will be vaccinated, while second phase will see people over the age of 65 vaccinated. In the third phase, the vaccine will be available for the general public.

The government will provide the coronavirus vaccine free-of-cost, she said, adding, phase III clinical trials of Chinese vaccines were “proceeding well”.

Nausheen advised citizens to continue taking precautions against Covid-19, even though the number of daily new cases was declining.

Active infections stood at 35,707 after 1,947 people tested positive in the 24-hour-period leading to Tuesday. Fifty-nine Covid patients — 50 of whom were in hospitals — died in the same period, according to the National Command and Operation Centre’s (NCOC) latest update.

Meanwhile, another doctor died of the novel coronavirus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, following which the toll of virus-related fatalities among doctors rose to 42 in the province. The Provincial Doctors Association identified him as Dr Safdar Shah from Karak district.

According to the NCOC, Islamabad was leading the country in ventilators occupancy with 46 per cent, followed by Multan’s 44 per cent, Bahawalpur 41 per cent and Lahore 37 per cent.

Peshawar was leading in oxygen beds’ occupancy with 57 per cent, followed by Islamabad’s 32 per cent, Karachi’s 31 per cent and Multan 31 per cent. —Agencies/News DeskNational Command and Operation Centre’s (NCOC) latest update.

Meanwhile, another doctor died of the novel coronavirus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, following which the toll of virus-related fatalities among doctors rose to 42 in the province. The Provincial Doctors Association identified him as Dr Safdar Shah from Karak district.

According to the NCOC, Islamabad was leading the country in ventilators occupancy with 46 per cent, followed by Multan’s 44 per cent, Bahawalpur 41 per cent and Lahore 37 per cent.

Peshawar was leading in oxygen beds’ occupancy with 57 per cent, followed by Islamabad’s 32 per cent, Karachi’s 31 per cent and Multan 31 per cent.