ISLAMABAD: Pakistan in collaboration with China’s Cansino Bio on Tuesday launched a locally developed coronavirus vaccine called the PakVac, planning minister Asad Umar, who also heads a federal body overseeing Pakistan’s pandemic response, said.

Pakistan last week opened up its coronavirus vaccination campaign to everyone aged 19 or older as it scrambles to protect more of its 220 million people during a third wave of the pandemic. Infection rates have gone down significantly in the last three weeks. 

Pakistan initially had to deal with vaccination hesitancy and a shortage of vaccine supplies and had limited shots to people aged 30 or over.

But with purchases and donations from China and allocations from the World Health Organization and the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, it has now secured more than 18 million doses and is keen to get them out into the population. So far 7.3 million people have been vaccinated. 

“This is a proud moment for the team at NIH [National Institute of Health],” Umar said at the launching ceremony for PakVac. “Chinese [Sinopharm] vaccine is the single most preferred vaccine for Pakistanis … now we have to promote this PakVac.”

“It is really, really heartwarming, the way China has supported us,” Umar said.

Pakistani health chief Dr. Faisal Sultan also appreciated state-run National Institute of Health for its contribution to the fight against COVID-19.

“NIH facility inaugurated today for the formulation, fill and finish of the CanSino-Bio vaccine,” Sultan said. “Dr. Aamer Ikram and his team have done a great job! This is a milestone in the journey to achieve self-reliance.”

NIH facility inaugurated today for the formulation, fill and finish of the CanSino-Bio vaccine. Dr Aamer Ikram and his team have done a great job! This is a milestone in the journey to achieve to self-reliance pic.twitter.com/pNeCTAC1RW

— Faisal Sultan (@fslsltn) June 1, 2021

In March, Pakistan said it would import Chinese Cansino Biologics COVID-19 vaccines in bulk to package three million doses locally.

“We will be getting the bulk vaccine by mid-April from Cansino, from which 3 million doses can be made,” planning minister Umar had said. “The bulk vaccine received will be formulated, sterilized and packed in Pakistan.”