ISLAMABAD – In a landmark in domestic production of the Covid-19 vaccine,Pakistan has successfully produced a Chinese single-dose CanSino vaccine ina bid to advance the national immunization drive, the local news channelreported Sunday.

Reports suggest that at least 124,000 jabs of the Covid vaccine have beenlocally manufactured in the first phase.

The newly manufactured batch of Covid vaccine will be made available by thenext week after approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan(DRAP). Meanwhile, the Quality Control Unit of the National Institute ofHealth is conducting a trial test of the new single-dose vaccine.

The Chinese team, according to sources, assisted them during themanufacturing process with the raw material provided by the Chinese firmCanSino while the second batch of the vaccine will be prepared solely bythe Pakistani experts.

Earlier, NIH officials while speaking with press reporters said that thevaccine will be manufacture at the local level with the collaboration of aChinese company. The company’s scientist will also be present in thefederal capital to help in the preparation of the vaccine. The experts alsotrained NIH experts to prepare vaccine doses.

According to official data, at least 1,193,441 people have been vaccinatedacross the country so far.