The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) is administering the China-made Vero Cell vaccines against COVID-19 across the nation from today. The government had received 4.4 million doses of Vero Cell vaccines from the northern neighbor on Friday.
Dr Sagar Dahal, Chief of the National Immunization Program, said that the vaccines have already been dispatched from the capital to all seven provinces.
This time, the inoculation drive is being carried out in Taplejung, Solukhumbu, Rasuwa, Sankhuwasabha, Mugu, Jumla, Humla, Dolpa, Bajura and Darchula districts, other than the Kathmandu Valley. Everyone aged above 18 years can get the vaccine for free in these districts.
In Kavre and Chitwan districts, the vaccines will be administered to people aged above 35 years. In Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Makawanpur, Ramechhap, Sarlahi and Achham districts, the vaccination campaign prioritizes people aged above 40 years.
Similarly, in other districts, people aged above 55 years will be administered the vaccines. The campaign will also cater frontline and emergency service workers, teachers and students, and tourism workers who missed earlier vaccination campaigns.
The vaccination campaign will be conducted from September 20-30.
Of the 6 million doses of Vero Cell vaccines that Nepal government has purchased, the country received 4.4 million doses on Friday. So far, the government has bought 10 million doses of Vero Cell vaccine from China, under a non-disclosure agreement.
Meanwhile, according to the MoHP, 6,203,316 people have taken their first dose of vaccine and 5,578,865 people have been fully vaccinated, so far.
The government has planned to inoculate 33 per cent of population by mid-October. As per MoHP’s update, in total, 21,360 doses of vaccines were administered on Sunday.
