<p>Pakistan has approved the emergency use of the third Chinese vaccine, despite its low efficacy rate, as the country struggled to contain the spread of the coronavirus.</p>.<p>The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) on Thursday granted Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) to CoronaVac, developed by Chinese company Sinovac Biotech, officials said on Saturday.</p>.<p>"This is the third Chinese vaccine allowed to be used in Pakistan," a DRAP official said, adding that the country now has five approved Covid vaccines.</p>.<p>Pakistan has already granted the EUA to China's two-dose Sinopharm and single-dose Convidecia vaccine developed by the Cansino Biologicals Inc. UK's AstraZeneca and Russian Sputnik V vaccines have also been approved by the DRAP.</p>.<p>So far, Sinopharm vaccines are being administered in most of the government hospitals, while majority of the private sector hospitals are giving Sputnik shots.</p>.<p>The newly approved CoronaVac vaccine has reportedly low efficacy rate, but the government allowed its emergency use to broaden its vaccination drive which remains low.</p>.<p>The vaccination drive began on February 2. However, only a little over one million doses have been administered so far.</p>.<p>According to a Geo News report, the CoronaVac vaccine, despite its low efficacy rate was allowed by the health authorities to counter the third wave of the pandemic in Pakistan.</p>.<p>The CoronaVac vaccine is already being used in China, Turkey, Indonesia, Brazil and the Middle East.</p>.<p>The approval of the new vaccine came as the number of coronavirus cases continue to pile up in the country.</p>.<p>With the detection of 5,139 new cases in the last 24 hours, the nationwide coronavirus tally now stands at 715,968, according to the health ministry.</p>.<p>The death toll reached 15,329 with 100 more patients succumbing to the viral infection overnight, it said, adding that some 4,204 patients are in a critical condition.</p>.<p>The positivity rate was also high at 10.47 per cent, the ministry said.</p>
<p>Pakistan has approved the emergency use of the third Chinese vaccine, despite its low efficacy rate, as the country struggled to contain the spread of the coronavirus.</p>.<p>The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) on Thursday granted Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) to CoronaVac, developed by Chinese company Sinovac Biotech, officials said on Saturday.</p>.<p>"This is the third Chinese vaccine allowed to be used in Pakistan," a DRAP official said, adding that the country now has five approved Covid vaccines.</p>.<p>Pakistan has already granted the EUA to China's two-dose Sinopharm and single-dose Convidecia vaccine developed by the Cansino Biologicals Inc. UK's AstraZeneca and Russian Sputnik V vaccines have also been approved by the DRAP.</p>.<p>So far, Sinopharm vaccines are being administered in most of the government hospitals, while majority of the private sector hospitals are giving Sputnik shots.</p>.<p>The newly approved CoronaVac vaccine has reportedly low efficacy rate, but the government allowed its emergency use to broaden its vaccination drive which remains low.</p>.<p>The vaccination drive began on February 2. However, only a little over one million doses have been administered so far.</p>.<p>According to a Geo News report, the CoronaVac vaccine, despite its low efficacy rate was allowed by the health authorities to counter the third wave of the pandemic in Pakistan.</p>.<p>The CoronaVac vaccine is already being used in China, Turkey, Indonesia, Brazil and the Middle East.</p>.<p>The approval of the new vaccine came as the number of coronavirus cases continue to pile up in the country.</p>.<p>With the detection of 5,139 new cases in the last 24 hours, the nationwide coronavirus tally now stands at 715,968, according to the health ministry.</p>.<p>The death toll reached 15,329 with 100 more patients succumbing to the viral infection overnight, it said, adding that some 4,204 patients are in a critical condition.</p>.<p>The positivity rate was also high at 10.47 per cent, the ministry said.</p>