Sputnik V vaccine arrives in Pakistan

KARACHI: Pakistan received its first tranche of the Russian vaccine, the Gam=COVID Vac or the Sputnik V, on Wednesday night as it arrived at the Jinnah International Airport.

As per the Pakistani authorities, 50,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine arrived in Pakistan. These will be provided to major hospitals and medical institutions.

“From now onwards, shipments of this highly effective COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered to Pakistan at regular intervals and help the country fight the pandemic,” a Russian trade representative in Karachi, Ruslan Aliev, was quoted as saying by The News. 

The double-dose Sputnik V vaccine is the first coronavirus vaccine in Pakistan available in the private sector. The country has so far been relying on the Sinopharm vaccine that has been donated to Pakistan by China.

The DRAP had regularised the use of Sputnik V in the first week of January 2021.

Officials of the private firm importing the Sputnik vaccine said they have initially procured 50,000 doses which can vaccinate 25,000 adults. Around 150,000 more doses of the vaccine are expected to reach Pakistan by the end of this week.