Foreign Office has categorically rejected media reports which claimed that Pakistan had signed an agreement with India for the procurement of AstraZeneca’s Coronavirus vaccine.
During the weekly press briefing, the Spokesperson for Foreign Office, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, clarified that Pakistan will import the AstraZeneca Coronavirus vaccine through COVAX, a global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines led by Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). ------------------------------
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The Spokesperson added that Pakistan had signed an agreement with GAVI last year for the supply of 45 million doses of AstraZeneca’s Coronavirus vaccine.
Under the agreement, 15 million doses will reach Pakistan during H1 2021 while the remaining 30 million doses will be ordered and procured during H2 2021. ------------------------------
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Note that AstraZeneca, the UK-based pharmaceutical company, had outsourced the large-scale manufacturing of its COVID-19 vaccine to Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer.
Serum Institute of India claims that it is producing more than 50 million doses per month to meet the global demand for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.