Image Credits: Wall Street Journal
ISLAMABAD, Dec 30 (APP): Special Cabinet Committee on COVID Vaccine on Wednesday reviewed procurement of COVID-19 vaccine for frontline health workers and overall related situation.
The committee was apprised that a number of countries have pre-booked COVID-19 vaccine based on preliminary or incomplete results in order to ensure the timely availability of vaccines for their populations. In some situations, vaccines were pre-booked even in developing stages to ensure availability.
The committee was informed of the deliberations of an expert committee formed by Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) who are in process of reviewing and analyzing available data from clinical studies performed so far. Of the available options, data from one company has been submitted for review to the committee for a final adjudication for emergency use.
In line with global practices at present whereby emergency procurement has to be made at times with incomplete and evolving information, the committee decided to pre-book COVID-19 vaccine from a Chinese state owned company, Sinopharm based on data submitted and timely availability. This decision is contingent upon emergency use approval by Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
Once approved and procured, the government will provide free of cost COVID-19 vaccine for all frontline health workers in the first quarter of 2021. It was also decided that other manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccine will continue to be engaged in for future bookings for the remaining phases of vaccination, based on further data and availability.
It was reiterated by the committee that the private sector will also be encouraged to approach DRAP and follow the laid down procedures for emergency use authorization of any available and safe COVID-19 vaccine. The Special Cabinet Committee was constituted as an oversight body for procurement of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Today’s meeting was chaired by Minister for Planning Asad Umar while Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry and Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar are the other members of this committee who attended the meeting. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Faisal Sultan attended the meeting on invitation.
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