ECC approves Rs150 million advance for coronavirus vaccine purchase

The Economic Coordination Committee has approved in advance $150 million for the purchase of the coronavirus vaccine.

In the first phase, the government plans to buy vaccines for 10 million people. The first people to get the vaccine will be doctors, health workers and the elderly.

The US, Germany and China are conducting vaccine trials and Pakistan is also part of the trial. Pakistan plans to purchase the vaccine as soon as the trials are declared successful and approved by the WHO.

The ECC believes the vaccine will be ready some time between January and June 2021.

The committee also approved the import of Rs340,000 tonnes of wheat through the Trading Corporation for Punjab. It also gave the approval for a supplementary grant for arrears of Pak Steel employees and a Rs500 million supplementary technical grant for the education ministry.