Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved $100 million for procurement of Covid-19 vaccine at the earliest of its availability. The government has decided that senior citizens, health practitioners and people suffering from chronic diseases are in top priority for the vaccine that will be available in limited numbers. 

"As we speak no company has announced the cost of vaccine. Moreover, not a single company has got the approval to sell the vaccine as the clinical trial data is limited. Although international firms — Pfizer and BioNTech — have announced that the phase-III clinical trials of their vaccines had shown 90 per cent efficacy in preventing the disease among those who have not contracted the virus, but they are in the process of compiling the data. Once data will be completed they will submit it with United States Food and Drugs Authority and with similar regulatory authority of the European Union. It may take another four weeks," said Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy (HSA) and Chairman of the National Vaccine Committee Dr Asad Hafeez. 

When asked about the cost of the vaccine, an official of the health ministry said it was not possible to estimate the cost of the vaccine at the moment, as there were no mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccines in the world. Parliamentary Secretary on NHS Nausheen Hamid said they have shortlisted two companies vaccine from lot of options and will do advance payment soon. 

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