ISLAMABAD: Planning minister Asad Umar, who also oversees the country’s pandemic response, on Thursday said Pakistan’s federal government had spent nearly $250 million to buy COVID-19 vaccines and planned to spend “much more” for vaccine procurement next year.
Pakistan last week opened up its vaccination campaign to everyone aged 19 or older as it scrambles to protect more of its 220 million people.
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 almost 20 million doses and is keen to get them out into the population.
“The acceleration of vaccination drive in the country being made possible by huge investment by the federal govt,” Umar wrote on Twitter. “So far the procurement of vaccine has reached nearly quarter of a billion dollars. Much more to be spent next year for the vaccines procurement.”

The acceleration of vaccination drive in the country being made possible by huge investment by the federal govt. So far the procurement of vaccine has reached nearly quarter of a billion dollars. Much more to be spent next year for the vaccines procurement

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) June 3, 2021

Pakistan’s National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), the central body which oversees the country’s pandemic response, on Wednesday night said it was launching a comprehensive vaccine policy which would include “motivation of public through effective media partnership, capacity building of existing vaccination infrastructure and uninterrupted supply of vaccine including indigenous production.”
The forum said all federating units would be provided assistance by the federal government to enhance their vaccination capacity.
Pakistan aims to administer coronavirus vaccines to 70 million people by the end of the year. It has so far administered more than 7.6 million doses.