ISLAMABAD, Mar 21 (DNA): The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan
(DRAP) has prepared recommendations for fixing the prices of the
coronavirus vaccines.

The DRAP has proposed the prices of Russian Sputnik vaccine and the
Chinese CanSinoBIO’s vaccine. The DRAP has recommended fixing the price
of double-dose Sputnik vaccine at Rs8,500 and CanSinoBio’s single-dose
price at Rs4,500, the sources said. The sources further said that the
DRAP recommendations have been forwarded to the Federal Cabinet for
approval.

Despite concerns over fairness and higher prices, Islamabad had agreed
last month to allow the commercial import and sale of vaccines. The
government had itself launched a vaccination drive last month with
500,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine donated by long-time ally China.
But aside from the donated Chinese doses, Islamabad has not completed
any deals to buy vaccines.

Sputnik V is one of four vaccines approved for emergency use in
Pakistan, in addition to those by China’s Sinopharm and CanSinoBio, and
the AstraZeneca-Oxford University shot.Chughtai Lab aims to import the
others as well, but Sputnik V was the first to become available,
Chughtai Lab Director Omar Chughtai said.

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