Pakistan to produce Chinese COVID vaccine as 'PakVac'; says it was not an easy task

Pakistan has launched a Coronavirus vaccine named 'PakVac' which will be manufactured in Pakistan. The vaccine is made with the assistance of the all-weather ally China to an extent that it is said to be a localised version of China's CanSinoBio vaccine. Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan expressed happiness over the launch and said Pakistan will soon be able to start the production of the vaccine.

Pakistan's Coronavirus vaccine 'PakVac'

The vaccine is categorically said to be a localised version of the CanSinoBio vaccine of China, which means the vaccine has been designed and developed in China. China has supplied the vaccine in bulk quantities to Pakistan in a concentrated form for filling and packaging in Pakistan. However, Dr Faisal Sultan said that developing the vaccine from raw materials was not an easy task while adding that he is proud of the people that developed the vaccine at Pakistan's National Institute of Health. He assured at the launch that the vaccine has undergone rigorous internal quality control checks and testing in order to begin mass production. Dr Faisal Sultan heaped praises to China for their assistance in making the vaccine.

"China was already a friend and came forward when coronavirus hit Pakistan", Dr Faisal Sultan said while lauding the Chinese assistance.

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar spoke about the COVID-19 situation of the country and highlighted that the number of patients in hospitals was higher this time as compared to the first wave and added that the number of patients on oxygen support was 60% more than it was during the first wave.

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong, in his address, revealed that Pakistan was the first country to accept the Chinese vaccine as a gift and asserted that the vaccine’s production is an example of the friendship between China and Pakistan. 

Pakistan has reported 1,771 cases in 24 hours taking the tally of confirmed cases to 922,824 according to the Ministry of National Health Services, Pakistan. The country has administered more than 7.3 million doses to over 5.3 million population with nearly 2 million people fully vaccinated according to a PTI report.

Doubts over efficacy of Chinese vaccines

Questions have also been raised about the efficacy of the Chinese vaccines as Seychelles which remains the world's most vaccinated country with Sinopharm, another Chinese vaccine, has reported a surge in COVID-19 infections among the fully vaccinated citizens. China has donated 13.3 million Sinopharm doses to other countries, according to New York Times report citing a Chinese consultancy that tracks China's impact on global health.

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain which also jabbed their population with the Chinese vaccine are now mulling a third dose owing to the inefficiency of the first two doses. UAE has announced it will begin offering booster shots to those who received the Chinese state-backed Sinopharm vaccine six months after vaccination. According to PTI, China's top disease control official, in a rare acknowledgement last month, said current vaccines offer low protection against the Coronavirus. Reports have stated that experts are suggesting a different vaccine than procuring the Chinese vaccine for the third dose.