Pakistan seeks to purchase more than 30 million doses of vaccine this month: Ministry of Health

• Officials said the government was watching the vaccination process go smoothly.
• The World Bank reallocated US$150 million to Pakistan to purchase vaccines.
• Dr. Nausheen Hamid said there is no shortage of vaccines in the country.

Officials from the National Health Service Regulations and Coordination Department said on Tuesday that the federal government’s goal is to purchase more than 30 million doses of vaccine in August.

Officials said that as the country stepped up its vaccination efforts in response to the fourth wave of COVID-19, vaccine procurement is being carried out to keep the vaccination process going smoothly.

The announcement came as Pakistan reached the one million dose per day mark on Monday, and Islamabad became the first city to receive at least one dose of vaccine for 50% of eligible population.

World Bank reallocates US$150 million for vaccine procurement

The World Bank’s South Asia Regional Vice President (SARVP) said that in addition, the World Bank has reallocated US$150 million for Pakistan to purchase COVID-19 vaccines.

In a conversation with Minister of Finance Shaukat Tallinn, the vice president said: “The World Bank is fully committed to providing assistance for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines for developing countries. To this end, it has reallocated US$150 million to Pakistan.”

Pakistan’s Director of the World Bank Najib Benhasing and the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant to Finance and Taxation Dr. Wakkar Masood also attended the meeting.

“There is no shortage of vaccines”

The Secretary of the National Health Service Parliament, Dr. Nausheen Hamid, has stated that the country does not lack a COVID-19 vaccine.

In an interview with a private news channel, she said: “I believe that by December 2021, everyone will be vaccinated.”

The government is steadily advancing vaccine procurement transactions and expanding the national vaccination program. “People should get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

Hamid said that the government will soon revise the plan so that young people under the age of 17 will be given priority, adding that several countries are vaccinating people under the age of 17 with the National Pharmaceutical Federation.

In response to a question, she said that the government did not consider giving people a third dose of vaccine — or booster shots — but several countries have already started vaccination.