Pakistan begins vaccine campaign to protect over-60s from coronavirus
10 March 2021, 10:44
The country is using China’s Sinopharm vaccine and hopes to get doses of the AstraZeneca treatment.
Pakistan has started vaccinating people who are 60 years old or above to protect them from Covid-19 amid a steady increase in cases and fatalities from the disease.
Pakistan is currently using China’s Sinopharm vaccine, which was donated to it by Beijing last month.
Pakistan hopes to start receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine this month under the World Health Organisation’s Covax Facility.
Authorities say Pakistan will receive 17 million doses of coronavirus vaccines under the scheme from March to June.
Fatalities and confirmed cases from the coronavirus have increased steadily since March 1, when Pakistan resumed regular classes at schools.
On Wednesday, Pakistani authorities were expected to decide whether schools should again be closed.
Pakistan has reported 595,239 cases, including 13,324 deaths.
