ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination has accelerated efforts for early availability of coronavirus vaccine.

According to a statement from the NIH, the Covid-19 vaccine committee working under National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has finalised recommendations on early availability of coronavirus vaccine in the country.

“The experts working under the coronavirus vaccine committee has finalised recommendations about the Covid-19 vaccine and the health ministry will present its recommendations to the Prime Minister Imran Khan next month, according to NIH statement.

“The committee has proposed to increase cooperation with China for development of Covid-19 vaccine and trails,” said the health ministry and added that vaccine will be provided to people affected by Covid-19 on immediate basis once it will get ready for public use.

The special Covid-19 committee also said that Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) resources will be utilized for delivery of vaccines.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan on Monday started phase III of the clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the country after Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) approved the process.

A spokesman for the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad said that the vaccine under trial is the one being prepared by Chinese biotech firm, CanSino Biologics, and Beijing Institute of Biotechnology.

The vaccine trial in Pakistan is being carried out under the supervision of the NIH head, who is the principal investigator of the programme.