{"id":116153,"date":"2021-06-09T17:35:47","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T17:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=116153"},"modified":"2021-06-09T17:35:47","modified_gmt":"2021-06-09T17:35:47","slug":"pakistan-commits-1-1-billion-for-covid-vaccine-to-cover-eligible-population","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/pakistan-commits-1-1-billion-for-covid-vaccine-to-cover-eligible-population\/","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan commits $1.1 billion for COVID vaccine to cover eligible population"},"content":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Pakistan said on Wednesday it will commit to spend $1.1 billion on procuring COVID-19 vaccine to inoculate eligible adults.<\/p> Pakistan hailed the 10 million doses of vaccines already administered as an important step toward its goal of vaccinating eligible people by year end.<\/p>\n The Economic Coordination Council (ECC) \u201cexpressed the government\u2019s commitment to provide $1.1 bln for procurement of COVID-19 vaccine,\u201d the finance ministry said in a statement.<\/p>\n It said the money will be spent to inoculate between 45 million and 65 million eligible adults this year in the country of 220 million.<\/p>\n The ECC approved $70 million on Wednesday to top up $130 million it sanctioned in May.<\/p>\n The vaccine will be procured by military run National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the statement said.<\/p>\n \u201cThank God, we have succeeded in administering 10 million vaccine (doses),\u201d the minister in-charge for COVID-19 operations, Asad Umar, told a ceremony to mark the milestone in Islamabad.<\/p>\n \u201cOur target is to vaccinate up to 70 million people by the end of this year,\u201d he said of the total adult population eligible for the vaccination out of a 220 million nation.<\/p>\n Pakistan faced initial vaccination hesitancy and a shortage of supplies but it started a mass vaccination campaign late last month.<\/p>\n It has relied heavily on ally China for vaccine supplies with three out of six approved does coming from Chinese producers: Sinopharm, SinoVac and CanSinoBio.<\/p>\n Coronavirus infections surged in recent months but have started subsiding. Pakistan has registered a total 936,131 cases and 21,453 deaths.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, 1,118 new infections and 77 deaths were reported.<\/p>\n Pakistan has secured more than 18 million doses in donations and purchases and has also started producing the single dose Chinese CanSinoBio vaccine, with the hope of making 3 million doses a month.<\/p>\n The minister appealed to the public to get the shot and help restore normal life and business.<\/p>\n \u201cThe more quickly we vaccinate the more quickly we get rid of this pandemic,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n