Pak to get 10m doses of vaccine under Covax
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, Nigeria and Indonesia will be among the biggest recipients of free COVID-19 vaccines before June — more than 10 million doses each — the Covax scheme announced .
Some 238.2 million doses will be distributed around the world by the end of May through the programme aimed at boosting access to coronavirus jabs in poorer nations.
Though vaccination campaigns have gathered pace globally, the majority of injections have been administered in wealthier countries while many nations have yet to receive a single dose.
The Covax scheme, aimed ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, on Tuesday outlined plans to deliver to 142 countries and territories by May 31, in its first wave of distribution.
The five biggest confirmed recipients are Pakistan (14,640,000 doses), Nigeria (13,656,000), Indonesia (11,704,800), Bangladesh (10,908,000) and Brazil (9,122,400).
They are followed by Ethiopia (7,620,000), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (5,928,000), Mexico (5,532,000), Egypt (4,389,600) and Vietnam (4,176,000).
Iran, Myanmar, Kenya and Uganda are also in line for more than three million doses each.
Meanwhile, the national tally on Wednesday of total active COVID-19 cases recorded 16,648 with 1,163 more people tested positive for the deadly virus and 1,388 people recovered from the disease during the last 24 hours.
Seventy-five virus patients in Pakistan have died during past 24 hours, 70 of them were under treatment in hospitals and five in their respective quarantines and homes on Tuesday, according to the latest update issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). Out of the total 75 deaths, 27 people had died under treatment on ventilators.
During the last 24 hours most of the deaths had occurred in the Punjab followed by Sindh. The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major areas including Multan 20 percent, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) 30 per cent, Peshawar 15 per cent and Lahore 35 per cent. The maximum Oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilator administered as per medical requirement of COVID patient) was also occupied in four major areas of Gujrat 94 per cent, Peshawar 37 per cent, Lahore 25 per cent and Multan 25 per cent.