ISLAMABAD : Prime Minister Imran Khan has given the go-ahead to pre-book the coronavirus vaccine after which the concerned authorities have approached two manufacturers, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr Nausheen Hamid confirmed that the government has contacted two major pharmaceutical companies for this purpose.

PM Imran Khan has okayed the proposal to secure the vaccines, she said.

Hamid said the payment for these purchases from international manufacturers will be made soon.

The government has yet to reveal the names of these two pharma companies.

In the first phase, 10 million Pakistanis will get the vaccine. Frontline workers and people over 65 years old will be given priority.

The government has given strict instructions, meanwhile, for restaurants and industries to follow standard operating procedures as coronavirus cases continue to rise in Pakistan.