Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, head of PM’s National Task Force on Science and Technology, has said that COVID-19 vaccine will be available in Pakistan in two months.
In a statement on Monday, Dr Atta-ur-Rehman reassured that COVID-19 vaccine will soon be available in country as it will take some time for smaller nations to acquire the vaccine.
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The vaccine will be available in Pakistan in around two months, he said.
The veteran scientist noted that distribution of COVID-19 will be a lengthy and time consuming procedure due to Pakistan’s population statistics.
Prior to this, Dr Atta-ur-Rehman had in-fact opposed Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine arguing it to be unsuitable for Pakistan.
This vaccine is not suitable for Pakistan in my opinion. We should not think much about this vaccine, instead focus on other vaccines that are being developed and have seen similar results but haven’t been announced with fanfare, he had said.
It is pertinent to know that earlier a five-member cabinet committee was formed under Asad Umar – Federal Minister for planning and development.
Meanwhile, federal cabinet has already approved US$ 150 million for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccine.
A five-member cabinet committee has also been formed under Asad Umar – Federal Minister for planning and development.
The committee will act as an oversight body regarding the procurement of COVID-19 vaccine, and its decisions will not require federal cabinet’s approval.
Other committee members include Fawad Chaudhry, Hammad Azhar, Sania Nishtar and Dr Faisal Sultan.
Clinical trials are already underway in Pakistan of ‘Ad5’ vaccine – a COVID-19 vaccine Chinese company CanSino Biologics and the Institute of Biology at the China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences.
The Ad5 vaccine contains a modified strain of adenovirus (cold virus) comprising of genetic material of COVID-19 coronavirus.
Once exposed, the cells of the vaccine recipient will initiate generating coronavirus protein and the immune system will begin attacking these coronavirus proteins.
