200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine ordered to vaccinate Senate: Mandviwalla

Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla has said that an order of 200,000 COVID-19 vaccine shots has been placed to vaccinate senators and the upper house’s staff.

The deputy chairman told that he had inquired about why vaccines not given approval from Dr Faisal Sultan, the special assistant to the prime minister on health.

"I asked Dr Faisal Sultan why approval was not being given to vaccines. If the government is unable to decide and procure, the private sector [can] acquire it," he told Dawn in an interview.

"Faisal told that we have given approval and [the private sector] can procure the vaccine,” he added.

Thus far, only three vaccines — the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the vaccine developed by Chinese state-owned firm China National Pharmaceutical Group (SinoPharm) and Russian-developed Sputnik V –were approved by Drug Regulatory Authority in Pakistan (DRAP).

Furthermore he said that people are dying, they don't know where to go to get the vaccine.

“There is no need [to follow] PPRA (Public Procurement Regulatory Authority) rules, the prime minister can just exempt vaccine procurement from PPRA rules,” he added.

Giving details for the vaccination of the senators and staff, he said that first step has been taken by the upper house.

“An order has been place through the Chinese foreign office and its embassy in Pakistan,” said Mandviwalla.

He did not mention the name of the company from which the vaccine will be procured.