COVID-19 vaccine updates in Pakistan and around the world

This story was last updated at 4:00pm Thursday, January 14, 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic continues to grow with second and third waves reported in many countries. Vaccines are, however, also being rolled out in many places. Rich countries have already secured supplies while poorer countries await their turn.

Authorities in Pakistan say we will begin vaccinations in the second quarter of 2021. It is not yet known which vaccine out of the eight approved for emergency or full use will be administered in Pakistan.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan says the government is in talks with six leading vaccine makers and the vaccinations will begin for high-risk groups in February or March.

On December 31, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry announced that the cabinet committee had decided to buy China’s Sinopharm vaccine for COVID-19.

Initially, 1.2 million doses will be purchased from Sinopharm, the federal science minister said on Twitter. The vaccine will be given free of charge to frontline workers in the first quarter of 2021.

Earlier, the Sindh government had announced that the COVID-19 vaccine would arrive in Pakistan mid-January. On Tuesday, however, the provincial government said that the federal government had hinted at a delay. The same day, the Cabinet relaxed procurement rules for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Provincial Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho has directed the vaccine coordination cell and officials to ensure smooth supply once inoculation starts at the Karachi Expo Centre.

On Thursday, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr Nausheen Hamid announced that the government is expecting the first shipment of the vaccine to arrive by the end of January.

SAMAA Health has compiled all the major updates here:

• Jan 14, 2021: Pope Francis and former pope Benedict XVI receive the coronavirus vaccine
• Turkey launches COVID-19 vaccination drive with China’s Sinovac jab
• Jan 13, 2021: Chinese coronavirus vaccine shows 50% efficacy in Brazil
• African Union secures 270 million vaccine doses
• California’s Disneyland opens giant coronavirus vaccination centre
• Brazil, Bolivia get AstraZeneca Covid jabs from India
• Jan 12, 2021: Coronavirus vaccine: Centre promises ‘good news’ as tally crosses 500,000
• AstraZeneca and Oxford University apply for authorisation for their coronavirus vaccine in the EU
• Scientists at the World Health Organization warned that mass vaccinations would not bring about herd immunity to the coronavirus this year
• Jan 11, 2021: Russia says more than 1.5 million vaccinated globally with Sputnik V
• India aims to begin vaccinating its 1.3 billion people against coronavirus from Jan 13
• US President-elect Joe Biden will receive second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Monday (today)
• Jan 10, 2021: Pakistan opens coronavirus vaccine registrations for frontline workers
• Saudi Arabia’s King Salman receives Covid-19 vaccine jab
• UK helps raise $1 billion in global vaccine donations
• Jan 9, 2021: Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip get COVID-19 vaccine
• Sinovac, AstraZeneca file for approval in Brazil
• Jan 8, 2021: Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei bans import of US and UK-made vaccines
• Europe bulk buys COVID-19 vaccines, WHO asks rich countries to share
• Moderna vaccine approved for use in UK
• Jan 7, 2021: Pakistan expecting first vaccine doses January end: parliamentary health secretary
• 1 in 100,000 had severe reaction to Pfizer vaccine
• Jan 6, 2021: Pakistan might not be getting COVID-19 vaccine by mid-Jan
• EU regulator approves Moderna coronavirus vaccine
• Jan 5, 2021: Cabinet relaxes procurement rules for COVID-19 vaccine
• BioNTech warns against delaying second vaccine dose beyond 21 days
• Mexico approves Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine
• More than 73,000 people have been vaccinated in China’s Beijing
• French President Macron promises faster vaccine rollout by Thursday
• EU says no decision taken over Moderna vaccine authorisation
• Jan 4, 2021: India approves two vaccines as nations race towards inoculation
• Palestinians left out as over 1.2m Israelis receive coronavirus vaccine
• Israel approves Moderna vaccine
• Jan 2, 2021: Sindh to get Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine mid-January 
•  India approves AstraZeneca-Oxford coronavirus vaccine
• US scientists are going to test whether existing COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the South Africa variant
• Jan 1, 2021: Karachi Expo Centre to become Sindh’s coronavirus vaccine centre
• WHO grants ‘emergency validation’ to Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
• Sources say India has approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine
• Dec 31, 2020: Pakistan decides to import Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine: Fawad Chaudhry
• ‘Highly unlikely’ 91-year-old’s death due to COVID-19 jab: Swiss authorities
• Argentina becomes second country in the world to approve the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine
• Algeria approves Russian Sputnik V vaccine
• Dec 30, 2020: Switzerland reports first death after Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shot
• China’s Sinopharm says Covid-19 vaccine 79% effective
• Margaret Keenan, the 91-year-old grandmother who was the world’s first patient to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine receives her second dose
• AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine approved for use in UK
• Dec 29, 2020: Belarus starts coronavirus vaccination with Russia’s Sputnik V
• Spain will keep a register of everyone who refuses to get the COVID-19 vaccine
• Dec 28, 2020: NOVAVAX starts Phase 3 clinical trials in US
• Dec 27, 2020: EU rolls out COVID-19 vaccine
• Dec 26, 2020: US doctor with shellfish allergy has reaction to Moderna vaccine
• Dec 25, 2020: Turkey to start using China’s Covid-19 vaccine after strong results
• Dec 24, 2020:  Brazilian institute says Chinese vaccine effective but hasn’t published results
• Dec 23, 2020: Coronavirus vaccine will be available by March: Dr Faisal Sultan
• Dec 22, 2020: Man approaches court to stop government from procuring coronavirus vaccine
• Dec 22, 2020: Biden receives Covid-19 vaccine live on TV
• Dec 19: Swiss authorise Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine
• Dec 18, 2020:  Sindh prepares for COVID-19 vaccine administration as cases cross 200,000
• Dec 18, 2020: China gears up for mass COVID-19 vaccine production
• Dec 17, 2020: Twitter cracks down on false posts about Covid vaccines
• Dec 17, 2020: EU Covid-19 vaccinations to start December 27
• Dec 17, 2020: US health worker has serious allergic reaction to Pfizer vaccine
• Dec 15, 2020: Sindh asks centre what support it’ll provide for COVID-19 vaccination
• Dec 15, 2020: Teachers should receive vaccine priority: UNICEF
• Dec 15, 2020: US begins Covid-19 vaccinations as death toll passes 300,000
• Dec 14, 2020: Women aged 35-44 ‘most engaged’ in Pakistan vaccine conversations
• Dec 13, 2020: Sanofi, GSK Covid vaccine delayed until end of 2021
• Dec 12, 2020: Fact-check: The coronavirus vaccine doesn’t change your DNA
• Dec 12, 2020: US approves Pfizer vaccine as millions of doses begin shipping
• Dec 9, 2020: UAE registers China’s Sinopharm vaccine, says 86% effective
• Dec 8, 2020: Canada will get the Pfizer vaccine third week of December
• Dec 7, 2020: British queen to get coronavirus vaccine soon, countries extend curfews
• Dec 7, 2020: India’s Serum Institute applies for emergency authorisation of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine
• Dec 5, 2020: Bahrain becomes second country to approve Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine
• Dec 5, 2020: Moscow starts inoculating vulnerable workers against coronavirus
• Dec 4, 2020: Govt approaches Gavi to make coronavirus vaccine available in Pakistan
• Dec 4, 2020: Moderna vaccine gives 3 months immunity, firm plans 100m doses
• ^Important Dec 2, 2020: ‘Pakistan to start free coronavirus vaccination in April 2021’ 
• Dec 2, 2020: UK to begin coronavirus vaccinations within days
• Dec 2, 2020: Japan residents to get free COVID-19 vaccine
• Dec 1, 2020: Moderna requests US, Europe vaccine approvals after full results
• Nov 30, 2020: Moderna will request US, Europe for coronavirus vaccine authorisation
• Nov 27, 2020: Pakistanis join final trials for China-made Covid-19 vaccine
• Nov 24, 2020: India first priority for AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine delivery: Serum Institute
• Nov 23, 2020: US expects to begin Covid vaccinations in early December: official
• Nov 19, 2020: Becoming a citizen scientist in Pakistan’s COVID-19 vaccine trial
• Nov 18, 2020: Poorer nations face coronavirus vaccine wait as West stockpiles supply
• Nov 17, 2020: New COVID-19 vaccine to show results by summer: creator
• Nov 16, 2020: How the Pfizer vaccine is different from CanSino’s in Pakistan trials
• Nov 10, 2020: Pakistan PM says COVID-19 vaccine should be accessible to all
• Vaccine ‘milestone’ hailed as global Covid cases soar
• Common misconception that vaccine will end the pandemic: health experts
• Pakistan’s AKU starts enrolling participants for global COVID-19 prevention study
• Volunteer in Oxford coronavirus vaccine trial dies in Brazil: officials
• World Bank approves $12b for COVID-19 vaccines
• Pakistan, will you volunteer for the Chinese coronavirus vaccine trial?
• Coronavirus vaccine trials start this week in Pakistan: taskforce chairperson
• Russia coronavirus vaccine ‘passes early trial test’
• WHO wants to review Russia’s coronavirus vaccine trials
• Russia has developed ‘first’ coronavirus vaccine: Putin
• Coronavirus vaccine clinical trials begin in two weeks in Pakistan
• Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine stops virus multiplying in monkeys: study
• Video: When will Pakistan get a coronavirus vaccine?