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South Asian Update

South Asia

Pakistan to get 17M doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine

 Published: 00:57, 31 January 2021

Pakistan to get 17M doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine

Pakistan has secured 17 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine under the COVAX scheme_ a minister said on Saturday.

Delivery will start in February and about 6 million doses will arrive by March_ according to Asad Umar_ the federal planning minister who is leading the country s virus control efforts. The remainder is expected to be received by the end of the year s first half_ he said on Twitter.

The COVAX facility is an initiative by the World Health Organization to ensure fair distribution of the coronavirus vaccines around the world.

Islamabad  signed with COVAX nearly 8 months back to ensure availability_ Umar added.

The development comes two weeks after Pakistan_ where the virus caseload is over 543_200 and fatalities stand at 11_623_ approved emergency use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Pakistan is expecting the first installment of 1.1 million doses of the vaccine developed by China s Sinopharm on Sunday.

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