Islamabad: The Pakistan federal cabinet on Tuesday approved allocation of $150 million (Dh550 million) for procurement of COVID-19 vaccine.
The federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan also decided that after its procurement, the vaccine will be first administered to the frontline health workers, senior citizens and people suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health, Dr Faisal Sultan, while briefing the media after the cabinet meeting said though conversation was underway with a number of companies, after the cabinet nod they would enter the final stage.
Criteria for selection
Dr Faisal said the benchmark for selection of vaccine would be its type, efficacy, the production capacity, price and storage requirement. Dr Faisal hoped the vaccine would be available by the first quarter of 2021.
He added that several companies that were working on development of a vaccine were shortlisted and initial negotiations have started. The prime minister’s aide said while $150m has been approved for vaccine procurement, the authorities will request the government to approve more funds if required.
The federal cabinet was also requested to constitute a committee comprising four or five members of the cabinet to oversee the procurement of the vaccine in order to ensure transparency.
The federal cabinet also decided to reduce the price of the COVID-19 drug Remdesivir from Rs9,244 (Dh 212.75) to Rs 5,660 (Dh 130.26).
More than 49,000 active cases
Pakistan on Tuesday reported more than 400,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 — 2,458 in the last 24 hours — and 8,091 deaths registering 67 deaths in one day alone.
According to the Ministry of the National Health Services, 40,969 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.
The number of active cases in the country has jumped to 49,105 indicating the number of deaths could further go up in the coming days.
Punjab extends lockdown to 70 areas
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has imposed smart lockdown in nearly 70 areas of the province, including 26 in Lahore. The measure was taken following the massive spread of COVID-19 in the province.
A notification issued late by the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department said following emergence of COVID-19 cases, it has been decided to impose smart lockdown in various areas both urban and the rural.
