KARACHI: Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V has been imported on Wednesday by a private Pakistan firm at a cost price of $22.5 per dose.
The first consignment of 50,000 doses of the vaccine arrived on Wednesday and was moved to a storage facility in the city as the government has not yet set a price cap for the vaccines imported by the private sector.
Sputnik V vaccine will be distributed to vaccination centers in a week after its price is determined by the Drug Regulatory Authority (DRAP).
Now the Regulatory Authority would issue a no-objection certificate and some rules for the marketing of the medicine, after which it would be distributed to the private centers.
The process would take around a week, sources said.
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 Oxford-AstraZeneca shot.
The Russian vaccine has a success ratio of 91.6%, It will be administered through hospitals and institutions that are authorized by the government as COVID-19 vaccination centers.
Initially the government allowed the private sector to import and sell the COVID-19 vaccine at the price of their choice but recently, the federal government decided to fix the price itself.
Now, the pricing board of the DRAP would fix the price and send it to the cabinet for approval and after approval, the private firm could sell the vaccine.
“There is a formula, already in vogue, to determine maximum price,” Health Minister Faisal Sultan said.
“So yes, there is a price cap that DRAP will recommend and get approval for.” He added.