Pakistan received the first shipment of 50,000 Russian vaccines against COVID-19, which it imported privately, including the Russian Gam-COVID-Vac or Russian Sputnik V vaccine, at Jinnah Karachi International Airport on Wednesday evening.
The Russian sales representative, Aliyev, hands over the shipment to a private company.
“From now on, shipments of this highly effective vaccine against COVID-19 will be sent to Pakistan on a regular basis and will help the country fight the pandemic, ” said Ruslan Aliyev.
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The dual dose of Russian Sputnik V vaccine is the first vaccine that will available in private sector in Pakistan. The country previously relying on the Chinese vaccine, Sinopharm.
The Pakistan Drug Registration Council (DRAP) declared the Russian coronavirus vaccine suitable for use in the elderly last week. Following recommendations from a commission of experts.
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From these 50,000 doses, 25,000 adults can get vaccination. An additional 150,000 doses of vaccine are expected to reach Pakistan by the end of this week.
“In the past the government allowed the private sector to import and sell the COVID-19 vaccine at selected prices. But recently the federal government scrapped its previous policy and decided to set a price for itself,” said a DRAP official.
He said the DRAP Price Board would determine the price and send it to the cabinet for approval. The private sector can then sell the vaccine. Before Russia has quoted $ 26-28 for two doses of the Sindh government’s Sputnik vaccine.
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