ISLAMABAD, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Friday approved the emergency use of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for people over 60 years of age, a statement by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan allowed all registered healthcare workers with the national institute of medical sciences who are above 60 years old to get themselves vaccinated from designated vaccine centers, an NCOC statement read.

It is phase two of the vaccination process in Pakistan. In phase one, the country inoculated the Sinopharm vaccine to its frontline medical staff. The vaccine doses were donated by China earlier last month to help the country fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.