Federal Interior Minister Ijaz Shah has been administered a trial vaccine of COVID-19 from China at the University of Health Sciences, reported media on Monday.
“Interior Minister Ijaz Shah was administered the vaccine, which has been in phase three of clinical trials,” said UHS Vice-Chancellor of UHS, Prof Dr. Javed Akram.
“The minister’s staff members were also administered the trial vaccine,” Prof Akram added.
Chinese company interested in conducting trials of Coronavirus vaccine in Pakistan https://t.co/L9ukjpizuD pic.twitter.com/WE75p0KSCv
— Times of lsIamabad (@TimesofIslambad) December 2, 2020
Pakistan has initiated trials of the China-made vaccine in Pakistan against coronavirus. China provided Pakistan with the vaccine developed by Chinese biotech CanSino Bio in partnership with the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology.
Read more: Bill Gates lauds young Pakistani Sikander Bizenjo an ‘unsung hero’ of coronavirus
Up till now, the vaccine has given positive results, anticipating that the effort would meet its desired results.
The vaccine has given the desired results in China and did not report any side effects. The vaccine is under trial in various countries including Mexico, Russia, Chile, Argentina, Saudi Arabia. Pakistan has been allotted 8000 recruits out of a total of 40,000. The trials are being conducted in five centers in Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore.
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on health, Dr. Faisal Sultan, announced the schedule of vaccine availability in Pakistan. SAPM has said that the COVID-19 vaccine would be available in Pakistan from February or March of 2021.
https://twitter.com/I_M_Imrann/status/1334825812806123521?s=20
He added that the federal government has allocated funds to get the vaccine. The vaccine will be administered to people in phases. However, the frontline doctors and medical staff will be the first one to be administered the vaccine.
Read more: Phase 3 clinical trials for potential coronavirus vaccine begin in Pakistan
Then, the elderly population will be administered the vaccine in the next phase. SAPM added that the vaccine will be available to people free of cost.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan said that the #coronavirus vaccine is likely to be available in Pakistan in February next year.
For More Details: https://t.co/0HkO2dl07h#ARYNews pic.twitter.com/HGAEYBr6LG
— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) December 7, 2020
Russia has also promised to provide its V COVID-19 vaccine to Pakistan. The Russia-made vaccine has proven to be more effective and economical than other vaccines produced globally.