A drive to administer the China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines to frontline healthcare workers was formally kicked off across Pakistan on Wednesday, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said.

At a ceremony held at the NCOC, the drive was formally launched with administering the vaccine doses to three frontline workers from the Health Ministry and two major hospitals based in the capital city.

Speaking at the ceremony, Asad Umar, Pakistani Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives expressed his gratitude to the people and government of China for extending their help to Pakistan in the hour of need.

Dr. Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services also said that China's Sinopharm vaccine is effective and safe.

He expressed optimism that the vaccine will prove to be a key step towards protecting health workers from the coronavirus.

Pakistan has so far confirmed over 547,000 cases, while 11,746 people have lost their lives to the disease since the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, according to the latest government data.

The first batch of the Sinopharm vaccines reached Pakistan early Monday from Beijing on a special Pakistan Air Force plane.

Read more: Pakistan kicks off COVID-19 jabs with Chinese vaccines