Health ministry seeks $150 million funds for Covid-19 vaccines.

ISLAMABAD -- Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination has sought $150 million funds from the federal government for advance booking of COVID-19 vaccines, it is learnt on Friday. Sources that the health ministry sent a summary to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in which it sought allocation of $150 million funds for advance booking of COVID-19 vaccines. The summary stated that the purchases of the coronavirus vaccines will be made under Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) regulations and its payments will be made in foreign currency. It added that Pakistan contacted Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for getting free-of-cost vaccines or its availability on discounted prices. It is expected to get vaccines from Gavi by the end of 2021. A session of ECC will be held under the chair of the finance advisor Abdul Hafeez Shaikh today where it is expected that the

summary will get approved. On November 4, it was learnt that the health ministry had recommended purchases of potential coronavirus vaccines under last-stage trials and allocation of $100 million in funds for its advance booking...