KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) – Thousands of Pakistanis rush to be inoculated in the first round of commercial sales of COVID-19 vaccines that began over the weekend, vaccination sites in the southern city of Karachi say they have sold out already.
Pakistan is currently offering free vaccines to healthcare workers and people over the age of 50, but action has been slow so far, and last month the country allowed private sector commercial imports for the general public.
The first round saw the commercial sale of Russian two-shot Sputnik V to the general public for about 12,000 Pakistani rupees ($ 80) for a two-dose package.
Despite the cost, a number of firing centers reported long queues, with some in Karachi waiting in line for nearly three hours. Most in the queue were young Pakistanis who were not yet eligible for free government vaccination.
“I am very happy to get it, because it is now necessary for travel,” Saad Ahmed, 34, told Reuters on Sunday after being shot at a luxury private sector hospital in Karachi.
While private sales of vaccines have begun, the government and importers are still stuck in a price dispute.
Pakistan initially agreed to exempt imported vaccines from capping prices, but later canceled the exemption and said it would set maximum prices.
A pharmaceutical company, which had already imported 50,000 doses of Sputnik V, took the government to court, where it won an interim order allowing it to sell it until the price was set.
As soon as the vaccination was opened to clients who had access, there were long lines of people, Dr. Nashwa Ahmed, who leads the vaccination at South City Hospital in Karachi, told Reuters.
Photos with queues outside the hospital until late at night were shared on social media.
The hospital purchased 5,000 doses of Sputnik V and in just over two days all its stocks had been administered or booked in advance, said a hospital official who asked not to be identified.
The companies, including one of Pakistan’s largest banks, also purchased large amounts for staff to be inoculated, the official said.
Private sales begin as the country handles a new wave of COVID-19 infections, and health facilities are rapidly filling to capacity.
The number of patients now in critical care has reached 3,568, the highest since the pandemic began, a cabinet minister, Asad Umar, said on Twitter. To date, Pakistan has reported 687,908 infections and 14,778 deaths.
(1 dollar = 152,9400 Pakistani rupees)
Reporting by Syed Raza Hassan; Montage by Peter Graff