Vaccination for all Nepalis by mid-Chaith (April): Ministry of Health

KATHMANDU: JULY 31 – The government is planning to bring 1,83,82,850 vaccines against the coronavirus by the end of Ashoj (October). A statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Population, Dr Krishna Prasad Poudel, said that the government is preparing to import 1,83,82,850 vaccines from China, Japan, and India by the end of Ashoj (October).

According to him, an agreement has already been reached to purchase 60,000 vaccines from a Chinese Sinopharm company. Similarly, 1.6 million quantities of AstraZeneca and 1 million quantities of Covishield purchased from India will come through the Covax facility. He also informed that the process of bringing 15 million doses of vaccine for children above 12 years of age through Covax has also moved forward.

The ministry plans to gradually receive 11.3 million vaccines for 20 per cent of the population free of cost from Covax and to vaccinate all Nepalis by mid-Chaith (April). The government has so far received 97.82 million 850 vaccines. Of these, 1 million were from India, 1 million to the Nepal Army, 348,000 from Covax, 1.8 million from China twice, 1.8 million from Vero Cell and 5.8 million from China, and 1.534 million 850 from Johnson & Johnson.

He informed that the ministry has also allowed the private sector interested in importing vaccines to purchase any vaccine obtained from the World Health Organization and the Department of Drug Management of Nepal with a maximum of 10 per cent profit on the production cost and import cost.

The ministry has so far added 2,075 high-dependency units (HDUs) to the government and 778 private ones to prevent and control coronavirus infection. The ministry also plans to add 1,400 HDUs. The ventilator is 904 and 180 more are being added. The ministry said it was adding 250 intensive care units (ICUs) with 180 ventilators for children.

The government has set a target of vaccinating 72 per cent of the total population, i.e. 21.5 million in the priority and 49.9 million in the age group of 12 to 18 years, for a total of 26.5 million. A total of 53.5 million doses will be needed to vaccinate all of them.

The ministry said that if 60 per cent of the population was vaccinated, the disease could be controlled and social and economic activities could be carried out.