Facing vaccine shortfall, Pakistan places order for 27.5m more doses

The vaccine rollout is continued across the country despite a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines doses. As many as 18 vaccine centres are inoculating the people in Islamabad, while seven centres have been shut down in the twin city of Rawalpindi, owing to the jabs’ paucity, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Sources revealed on Saturday that 2.249 million doses of vaccines acquired from abroad were still in stock and the government had finalized the agreements for the purchase of 27.5 million more doses. 

See Also: Vaccine shortage shuts down most of Karachi’s vaccination centres

Health Ministry said the number of doses obtained from abroad had reached 15 million. It revealed that Pakistan acquired 7.5 million doses of SinoPharm and 5.5 million doses of SinoVac. It further informed that Pakistan got one million doses of one-shot CanSino and 1.2 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines.

Security men dealing with the public gathered outside the Expo Vaccination Centre in Lahore.

The sources said 100,000 doses of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine reached Pakistan and these were being inoculated to people having a weak immune system and workers and students who intended to go abroad. 

See Also: Corona recedes fast as Pakistan reports only 27 deaths, 991 cases

According to National Command and Operation Centre, 12.75 million doses had been administered to the people so far. It said that we still had 2.249 million vaccine jabs in stock. 

Lahore's Expo Centre runs out of vaccines

The main vaccination centre at Lahore's Expo Centre was run out of vaccine doses on Saturday. Long queues were seen outside the centre as people continued to arrive for the vaccination.

The administration later forced the public out of the vaccination centre.

Rs1,200b corona fund goes into pockets: PML-N

PML-N Spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb condemned unavailability of vaccines at inoculation centres across the country including PIMS, Islamabad and termed it criminal negligence, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

پاکستان مسلم لیگ (ن) کی ترجمان مریم اورنگزیب کا ملک بھر میں ویکسین کی عدم دستیابی کی شدید مذمت،عمران خان کو توجہ دلاو نوٹس اور سوال

پمز سمیت ملک بھر کے بڑے ویکسین مراکزمیں کورونا ویکسین کی عدم دستیابی مجرمانہ غفلت ہے

— PMLN (@pmln_org) June 19, 2021

She said goals have not been set clearly and questioned why there was no provision for advance vaccine delivery and PM Imran Khan should explain why vaccines were not ordered on time that led to a disruption in the supply.

She alleged that till date Imran Khan has not been able to formulate a national strategy for coronavirus vaccines with the provinces.

She alleged that Rs1,200 billion Corona Relief Package has gone in vain and people were left with vaccine shortages.

The PML-N Spokesperson said that the person who could not sit with provinces to formulate strategy for COVID-19 vaccines, how could he sit with opposition on national issues.

Reporters Saba Bajeer and Azmat Awan