Sindh health department proposes Rs. 1.5 billion budget for COVID-19 vaccine acquisition

The Sindh Health Department has proposed the allocation of Rs. 1.5 for the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines. As such, a draft will be prepared for the allocation of funds and sent to Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. The provincial government is negotiating the import of COVID-19 vaccines with two private companies according to sources.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has already approved the emergency use of two COVID-19 vaccines – the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine with 70.4% efficacy and China’s Sinopharm vaccine with an efficacy of 79%. The phase 3 clinical trials of vaccine by CanSino are also underway and will be completed by the first week of February.

The decision by DRAP to approve 2 vaccines for emergency use means that the government and private sector is free to import the approved vaccines and start using them. The Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan, Imran Khan, also directed the cabinet committee formed for the procurement of vaccines to accelerate the measures for the provision of the vaccines to the public in light of DRAP’s decision.

Early adoption of vaccines is necessary especially as the government is aiming to reopen all schools and universities from February 1, 2021. The children are the main source of the transmission of the virus, and as such we need effective measures in place to control the virus otherwise we will be looking at another deadly wave.

Image Source: MNP