Chinese PLA provides COVID-19 vaccines to Pakistan Army

BEIJING, The second batch of COVID-19 vaccines assisted by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was delivered to the Pakistani military.

The vaccine was provided with the approval of the Central Military Commission and at the request of Pakistani military and for the implementation of President Xi Jinping’s important declaration on making China’s COVID-19 vaccine a global public good, China Military Online reported on Friday.

Pakistan Army received first batch of the vaccine from the Chinese PLA on February 8, becoming the first foreign military to get the COVID-19 vaccine assistance from the Chinese military.

Meanwhile, the first batch of China’s CanSino COVID-19 vaccines that the Pakistani government purchased in bulk has been transported to Pakistan, the CanSino Biologics Inc. told the Chinese media.

Having arrived in Pakistan a couple of days ago, the bulk vaccines will be packaged locally to support Pakistan’s fight against COVID-19, the company told Xinhua.

In late March, the first batch of finished CanSino COVID-19 vaccines that the Pakistani government purchased from China airlifted in Islamabad.

According to the report, the third phase trials of the CanSino vaccine had been conducted in Pakistan and it is the second Chinese COVID-19 vaccine that Pakistan approved for emergency use in the country.

Currently, Pakistan is facing a third wave of COVID-19 and the positivity rate has seen a sharp rise, forcing the Pakistani authorities to continue tightening the anti-pandemic measures and facilitating the vaccination drive.