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(Updates with more details, background)
By Asif Shahzad and Syed Raza Hassan
ISLAMABAD, March 18 (Reuters) - Pakistan has reversed a
decision which had allowed uncapped prices for COVID-19 vaccines
imported by private firms, Health Minister Faisal Sultan said on
Thursday.
The development coincided with arrival of first shipment of
privately-imported Russian Sputnik-V vaccines.
"This is the first shipment of 50,000 doses which came last
night only," an official of AG Pharma which imported the vaccine
told Reuters. The official spoke on condition of anonymity
because he wasn't officially authorized to release the
information.
Pakistan, largely reliant on the GAVI/WHO COVAX initiative
for poorer nations, had early February allowed private companies
to import coronavirus vaccines and agreed to exempt such imports
from price caps.
"Now, however, there is a formula, already in vogue, to
determine max price," Sultan told Reuters. "So yes, there is a
price cap that DRAP (Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan) will
recommend and get approval for," he said.
The decision to allow commercial imports of the vaccine with
an exemption on upper price caps had sparked criticism that it
will create inequality.
The government hasn’t decided on the price, the AG Pharma
official said. "As soon as government notifies its pricing to
us, we will make it available at government registered private
sector hospitals," he said.
(Reporting by Asif Shahzad in Islamabad and Syed Raza Hassan in
Karachi, Pakistan; Editing by Toby Chopra)
