KARACHI, Apr.10 (Gwadar Pro) - Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to another Chinese vaccine, CoronaVac to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is the fifth coronavirus vaccine and the third Chinese vaccine to be used in Pakistan. Earlier, Pakistan had granted EUA to China’s two-dose Sinopharm and single-dose Convidecia vaccine developed by the Cansino Biologicals Inc. UK’s AstraZeneca and Russian Sputnik V vaccines have also been approved by DRAP.
DRAP officials said, the CoronaVac vaccine, despite its low efficacy rate, was allowed by the health authorities to counter the third wave of the pandemic in Pakistan. They said EUA was granted in a meeting on Thursday.
Pakistan Approves Emergency Use of Chinese Covid-19 Vaccine CoronaVac Despite Low Efficacy Rate
Sun Online Desk
10th April, 2021 06:29:29
Pakistan has approved the emergency use of the third Chinese vaccine, despite its low efficacy rate, as the country struggled to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) on Thursday granted Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) to CoronaVac, developed by Chinese company Sinovac Biotech, officials said on Saturday. “This is the third Chinese vaccine allowed to be used in Pakistan,” a DRAP official said, adding that the country now has five approved COVID vaccines.
Pakistan has already granted the EUA to China’s two-dose Sinopharm and single-dose Convidecia vaccine developed by the Cansino Biologicals Inc. UK’s AstraZeneca and Russian Sputnik V vaccines have also been approved by the DRAP. So far, Sinopharm vaccines are being administered in most of the government hospitals, while majority of the
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has approved China s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, the National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed on Friday.
According to a statement released by DRAP on Thursday, the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac has been given emergency use authorization for people aged 18 and above.
The statement said the authorization will be reviewed every quarter keeping in view data regarding safety, efficacy and quality of the vaccine.
It is the third Chinese COVID-19 vaccine that was approved by the country after Sinopharm and CanSino vaccines, and Pakistan kicked off its vaccination drive in early February upon receiving vaccine donation from China.
Covid latest: Lockdowns around the world; India reports record 145,384 cases
Web Report/Dubai
Photo: Reuters
A summary of today s developments:
Live map: Global spread of coronavirus
Source: Johns Hopkins University Vaccine shortages hit poor countries
As many as 60 countries, including some of the world’s poorest, might be stalled at the first shots of their coronavirus vaccinations because nearly all deliveries through the global program intended to help them are blocked until as late as June.
COVAX, the global initiative to provide vaccines to countries lacking the clout to negotiate for scarce supplies on their own, has in the past week shipped more than 25,000 doses to low-income countries only twice on any given day. Deliveries have all but halted since Monday.