ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is expecting to receive the Covid-19 vaccine from China’s Sinopharm in early February.

The procurement of 1.2 million vaccine doses from Sinopharm was decided as Pakistan is battling with the second spell of Covid-19.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Faisal Sultan said, “We hope to be able to get vaccine doses from Sinopharm in the first quarter of this year, hopefully starting in early February.”

He further added that the government was expected to begin the process of vaccination within the first quarter of this year.

“Moreover, the government is in regular contact with the companies whose vaccines have been approved,” he said.

According to The National Command and Operation (NCOC), the health care workers would be vaccinated in the first phase, however, the second batch of vaccines will be solely for public.