ISLAMABAD: Around 2.5 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United States arrived at Islamabad International Airport on Friday, the US embassy in Islamabad said, saying the vaccines were being delivered in partnership with the COVAX global vaccine initiative, UNICEF, and the government of Pakistan.
US President Joe Biden’s administration announced the donation of the Moderna vaccine to Pakistan on Monday this week. In May, the White House had laid out a plan for the United States to donate 80 million surplus COVID-19 vaccine doses to the world by the end of June.
“The United States Mission to Pakistan is pleased to share these safe and effective vaccines with the people of Pakistan,” US Embassy Chargé d’affaires Angela P. Aggeler said. “We appreciate the ongoing collaboration with the Pakistani government and our international partners to make this delivery and these goals a reality.”
The United States has delivered nearly $50 million in COVID-19 assistance through its partnership with the Pakistani government, Aggeler said.
“Since the start of the pandemic, we have worked together to improve infection prevention and control, enhance patient care, expand laboratory testing, disease monitoring, and case tracking in all districts, and support frontline healthcare workers,” the statement added.
The United States has pledged $4 billion to support COVAX with the purchase and delivery of vaccines to 92 low- and middle-income countries. In May, Pakistan received 1.2 million doses of the Astra Zeneca vaccine as part of the COVAX effort.
Pakistan has been battling a third wave of the coronavirus in recent months, which it has tackled with strict coronavirus rules and by picking up its vaccination drive. The country has administered over 16 million coronavirus doses since February in a country of 220 million people.
Pakistan this weekend reported the lowest number of coronavirus cases since October, with a government portal showing 735 new infections recorded on Tuesday, with 23 deaths. On Friday, a government portal reported 1,277 new infections and 24 deaths in the last 24 hours.
On Monday, the government announced easing nearly all coronavirus restrictions across the country as infection numbers showed a steady downward trend.
