Pakistan to receive 45 million doses of 'Made in India' Covid-19 vaccines

Federal Secretary of Pakistan's National Health Services Aamir Ashraf Khawaja on Thursday informed that the Islamic Republic is going to receive 45 million doses of Indian manufactured Covid-19 vaccine during March.   

Khawaja said that the doses would be received under an agreement with Vaccine alliance Gavi, said reports.

Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi) is a public-private global health partnership to increase access to immunisation in poor countries.

It was created in the year 2000 to improve access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world's poorest countries.

Out of the total, 16 million would be received by June this year. Pakistan will get free doses of India-made Oxford-AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine, which would give cover to 20 per cent of the population of the country.

India is supplying the COVID-19 vaccine to 65 countries. While many foreign nations have received the vaccine on a grant basis, others have paid the price set by the Indian government.

Till now, all of India's neighbours, barring Pakistan, have been supplied with vaccines by New Delhi. Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal and Bangladesh began their vaccination drive using India-made vaccines.

Last week, when Afghanistan started its vaccination drive with healthcare workers and members of the Afghan military, President Ashraf Ghani said, "India, the world's largest democracy and the largest producer of vaccines, not only provided the house of Parliament of Afghanistan and the dams that are the pride of this country, but also partners with us in terms of securing our lives and livelihood."

India had started its mega domestic vaccination in January and since then more than 1.66 crore vaccine doses have been administered.

(With inputs from agencies)