Pakistan rolls out locally made CanSino shot

Pakistan launched local production of a COVID-19 vaccine from Chinese drugmaker CanSino Biologics at a ceremony in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Addressing the launching ceremony for the vaccine named PakVac, Faisal Sultan, the special assistant to the prime minister on health, hailed the step as a milestone for the country. Local production will support Pakistan's battle against COVID-19 by leading the country toward vaccine self-sufficiency.

Sultan told the gathering at the National Institute of Health that China is a true friend that always extends a helping hand to Pakistan in tough times.

The cooperation between the two countries in fighting COVID-19, including vaccine cooperation, has set a good example for other countries, Sultan said.

Pakistani Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, who also heads the National Command and Operation Center, shared the results of a locally conducted survey at the ceremony. The poll indicated that Chinese vaccines, including CanSino's, are the preferred ones among Pakistanis due to their superior quality and effective results.

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong said the vaccine cooperation between China and Pakistan not only effectively contributes to Pakistan's efforts in fighting COVID-19 by reducing its dependence on vaccine imports but also adds to the efforts of building a global community of health for all.

With technological support from CanSino, the National Institute of Health recently packed over 120,000 doses of the single-dose CanSino vaccine using a bulk vaccine purchased from China. It was the first time that a COVID-19 vaccine has been produced in the South Asian country.