KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan has secured 17 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine under the COVAX scheme, a minister said on Saturday.

Delivery will start in February and about 6 million doses will arrive by March, according to Asad Umar, the federal planning minister who is leading the country’s virus control efforts.

The remainder is expected to be received by the end of the year’s first half, he said on Twitter.

The COVAX facility is an initiative by the World Health Organization to ensure fair distribution of the coronavirus vaccines around the world.

Islamabad “signed with COVAX nearly 8 months back to ensure availability,” Umar added.

The development comes two weeks after Pakistan, where the virus caseload is over 543,200 and fatalities stand at 11,623, approved emergency use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Pakistan is expecting the first installment of 1.1 million doses of the vaccine developed by China’s Sinopharm on Sunday.