COVID-19: Pakistan receives 2.5m Moderna doses from US
Tranche is part of 80m doses America is sharing with the world
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Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday received the first tranche of 2.5 million Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses from the US.
The coronavirus doses that arrived at Islamabad International Airport have been delivered to Pakistan in partnership with the COVAX global vaccine initiative.
The tranche is part of the 80 million doses the United States is sharing with the world, to facilitate equitable global access to safe and effective vaccines, which is essential to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. “The United States Mission to Pakistan is pleased to share these safe and effective vaccines with the people of Pakistan,” said US Embassy Chargé d’affaires Angela P. Aggeler.
Moderna vaccine guidelines
Pakistan’s National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has issues these guidelines: -It is recommended for persons above 18 years of age -The vaccine requires two doses, given 28 days apart -Before use, the frozen vials should be stored at minus 25 to minus 15 Celsius and protected from light in the original packaging. It should not be stored on dry ice or below minus 40 Celsius. -After thawing and preparing the frozen vaccine for use, it should be stored at standard refrigerated conditions of 2° to 8°C for up to 30 days or at +8 C to +25 C for up to 24 hours. -After organ transplantation, patients may receive the vaccine three months after the procedure. Those who have had chemotherapy may receive the vaccine after 28 days.
“These vaccines will save lives and help Pakistan emerge from this crisis, which has devastated so many families and communities in both our countries. A vaccinated public will also help bring back the economic and social interactions we all welcome. We appreciate the ongoing collaboration with the Pakistani government and our international partners to make this delivery and these goals a reality.”
The US has pledged $4 billion to support COVAX with the purchase and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to 92 low and middle-income countries. In addition to the vaccine doses, the United States has delivered nearly $50 million in COVID-19 assistance through its partnership with the Pakistani government, to improve infection prevention and control, expand laboratory testing, disease monitoring, and support frontline healthcare workers.
Vaccines in use in Pakistan
The Moderna vaccines arrive days after Pakistan received three million doses of Sinovac from China this week. Pakistan has so far received 23.6 million doses of different vaccines including Sinopharm, Sinovac, CanSino, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and now Moderna. The country has administered more than 16.3 million coronavirus vaccine doses.
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