Pakistan receives new consignment of Sinopharm vaccine

Officials from the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination announced on Saturday that a consignment carrying 528,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine has arrived in Pakistan.

The officials said that Pakistan will have procured a total of 2 million doses by Sunday, which include the doses which have already been received and the ones yet to arrive.

A consignment carrying 792,000 jabs of the vaccine had also been brought to Pakistan last night.

The officials said that the government will consider the provinces’ requirement before providing them with the vaccine stock.

Vaccine shortage hits Karachi

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.

Pakistan seeks to procure millions of doses

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.