Developing Chinese vaccine in final stages: Nausheen Hamid

ISLAMABAD-Parliamentary Secretary, National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Dr. Nausheen Hamid Sunday said that the coronavirus vaccine development was in its final stages as China has assured to provide 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Pakistan by January 31.

The frontline staff will be the first ones to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and more than 3 lakh frontline workers have been identified to carry out vaccination process in first phase which is set to begin from end of February, she said. 

She said that Pakistan had approved Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use in Pakistan and expressed hope for its early availability from China, adding, the vaccine is being developed by CanSinoBio and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology China.

Nausheen Hamid said the Chinese vaccine is also successfully undergoing phase 3 trials, adding, it was an “honour” for Pakistan to be among the few countries participating in “the biggest and relatively difficult” phase-3 study of a vaccine.

She explained the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination was dedicated for the frontline healthcare workers who were part of this challenge. In the second phase, senior citizens aged 65 and over while in the third one the general population would be vaccinated.

She said government was under close contact with three international firms manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine.

A ‘safe and effective’ vaccine against novel coronavirus will soon become a reality in Pakistan, she assured.

She said currently the expert panel was also looking at the data of Chinese vaccine manufacturers including Sinopharm, Cansino whose clinical trials were underway and Russian vaccine Sputnik V.

She said potential COVID-19 vaccine development jointly produced by China and Russia has entered its final stages.

The staff members of the COVID-19 vaccination have almost completed their training sessions in line with the guidelines provided by World Health Organisation (WHO), she added.

She explained that the COVID-19 vaccination training programme aims at providing adequate knowledge and skills to health workers, who will be involved in the implementation of the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign and to ensure safe and efficient COVID-19 vaccine administration.

Secretary said that vaccination of the health workers and to provide protection to them against the virus was top priority of the government so that they could perform their duty more effectively.

Nausheen Hamid said the COVID-19 situation in country has been stabilised and active cases were reducing.

Article source: https://nation.com.pk/25-Jan-2021/developing-chinese-vaccine-in-final-stages-nausheen-hamid