Asad Umar said that once the AstraZeneca vaccine was approved by Drap, it may be imported by the Sindh government if it could procure supplies from abroad. DawnNewsTV/File
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said on Saturday that the federal government would not hold a monopoly on the import of coronavirus vaccines, adding that provinces and the private sector were free to import vaccines subject to approval of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap).
Umar who also serves as chief of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) made the statement in
Geo News show Naya Pakistan . From day 1, the NCOC has adopted the policy that the federal government shall not have the monopoly to import anti-coronavirus vaccines, he said. Provinces and private entities including hospitals have been allowed to import the vaccines that are approved by Drap.
Pakistan s drug authority approves emergency use of AstraZeneca s coronavirus vaccine
By
Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has efficacy of 70.4%
It was first approved by the British govt
Pakistan to roll out vaccines from March
Pakistan has authorised the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine as the country struggles with the second wave of infections.
Talking to
Geo.tv, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Health Dr Faisal Sultan confirmed on Saturday that the Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) has granted approval for emergency use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine across the country.
The authorisation comes as infections surge across Pakistan with over 34,000 cases reported in just two weeks of January. The country witnessed 48.8 deaths on average every day due to coronavirus in the past 15 days with hospital intensive care units nearing capacity.