The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan has said that the first batch of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine will be available in Pakistan in first quarter of the year.

The senior-most health official in the country confirmed that the government would be placing an order from more than one international supplier within this quarter.

Only Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) approved vaccines will be ordered, said the SPAM on Health.

Last week, the DRAP approved two COVID-19 vaccines – the Chinese manufactured Sinopharm, and the Oxford-AstraZeneca – for emergency.

He hinted at more vaccines will also be given a go-ahead by the regulatory body in near future.

Apart from procuring the vaccine directly, Pakistan will also receive its first tranche of vaccines from COVAX in the first quarter of the year.

COVAX is World Health Organisation-led initiative that aims to provide COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries.

Pakistan is already putting modalities in place to receive and distribute the vaccine.

“All necessary preparations are being done to start a mass inoculation campaign within Q1,” Dr Sultan told Geo.

“This includes infrastructure, framework, training and capacity,” he added.

In the first phase, the vaccine will only be administered to healthcare workers dealing directly with coronavirus infected and those over the age of 65 years.