First batch of Cansino vaccine received by Pakistan: Asad Umar

The very first batch of the Chinese-made Cansino vaccine for COVID-19 is being received by Pakistan today (Tuesday), said Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar on Twitter.

This is the vaccine whose phase 3 clinical trials were the first to be conducted in Pakistan.

The vaccine’s brand name is Convidecia.

First batch of cansino vaccine procured being recieved today. This is the vaccine in which Pakistan participated in phase 3 trials, which was the first time ever that Pakistan had done so for any vaccine.

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) March 30, 2021

By mid-April, three million doses of the vaccine will be procured, Umar added in another tweet.

We will be getting bulk vaccine by mid april from cansino from which 3 million vaccine doses can be made. The bulk vaccine recieved will be formulated, sterilized and packed in Pakistan. For this purpose special equipment has been procured and manpower is being trained

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) March 30, 2021

The Prime Minister’s aide on health Dr Faisal Sultan said Sunday that over one million COVID-19 vaccine doses would be flown into Pakistan from China this week. 

The Punjab health minister said March 14 the provincial government was in talks with CanSino Biologics Inc to import the coronavirus vaccination.

“We are in negotiations with CanSino and probably, we will be importing are own vaccine,” Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid told SAMAA TV. “The government of Pakistan has allocated $150,000 million just for the purchase of vaccine.”

On March 21, the cabinet approved the prices of Russian and Chinese vaccines. According to a circular, one injection of China’s Convidecia vaccine will cost Rs4,225. Four doses of Sputnik V will cost Rs16,560.

Pakistan is currently vaccinating frontline health workers and people above 60 years using the Sinopharm vaccines donated by China.

Registration for everyone above 50 years opened on Tuesday.

How to register

Text message your CNIC number (without spaces and dashes) to the government’s official 1166 number to register.

You can send a text message from any mobile phone number.

The government will text message you back this information:

• Your vaccine centre
• The date
• Your PIN code (which the vaccinator will ask for to verify it is you at the centre)

Vaccination centres are open from 9am to 5pm.

You can also register for your vaccination at the government’s website: nims.nadra.gov.pk