As part of the United States (US) commitment to provide 77 million doses of U.S. COVID-19 vaccines to Pakistan, an additional nine million dollar pediatric and adult doses began arriving on August 26.
Lauding for the strong bilateral health cooperation as the United States and Pakistan commemorated 75 years of bilateral relations, Ambassador Blome said, “The vaccines, supplies, and training we have provided to Pakistan, coupled with the expertise and dedication of Pakistan’s healthcare professionals, will allow us two countries to continue working together to combat COVID-19 and safeguard the health and safety of the Pakistani people.”
An additional $20 million doses in USAID funding is also planned to support ongoing vaccination efforts in Pakistan. Since the pandemic’s start, the U.S. government has provided nearly $70.4 million in direct support and $13.8 million in in-kind support to assist the Pakistani people in the fight against COVID-19, said a press release issued here by U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.
It is pertinent to mention that the United States is the single largest donor of COVID-19 vaccines to Pakistan. In addition to those Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the United States also recently donated four mobile testing laboratories, worth $4.6 million, to Pakistan’s National Institute of Health through USAID. These labs have strengthened Pakistan’s ability to diagnose COVID-19 and other communicable diseases, especially in remote and underserved areas.
