Pakistan Allows Private Vaccine Imports, Vaccination Centers Paralyzed and Prices 'Soar'

A street in Pakistan in May last year when the nationwide lockdown measures implemented to block COVID-19 were eased.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] According to CNN on the 12th (local time), Pakistan allowed private companies to import COVID-19 vaccines but instead faced severe backlash. As people rushed to get vaccinated, some vaccination centers became virtually congested, and prices were set exorbitantly high.

According to the report, the Pakistan government, which had been conducting free vaccinations under state leadership, allowed private companies to import and sell COVID-19 vaccines last month due to the triple difficulties of the third wave, shortage of hospital beds, and delays in vaccine supply.

However, when the Russian Sputnik V vaccine went on sale earlier this month, CNN reported that people flocked to vaccination centers, forming waiting lines within just a few hours, showing a state of 'frenzy.' Within days, vaccines ran out at many centers, and some places changed their policy to require online reservations for vaccination.

The high cost was also cited as a problem. Since private company vaccines are mostly sold only in major cities like Islamabad and Karachi, it is difficult for residents in outlying areas to access them, and even then, prices were set higher than the income of most residents.

In fact, the price of the Sputnik vaccine (two doses) is about 12,000 rupees (approximately 88,000 won), which is four times the international market price, and according to CNN, it accounts for about 30% of the monthly income of Pakistan's middle class.

All vaccines imported by the Pakistan government so far have been Chinese-made, totaling 2.56 million doses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.