Government decides to provide booster shot

KATHMANDU: FEB. 11 – The government has decided to give all citizens a booster shot beginning Feb 13.

The Ministry of Health has stated that all citizens over the age of 18 who have been vaccinated against both doses of COVID-19 and have reached 6 months of vaccination will be given a booster.

Health Minister Birodh Khatiwada said at a press conference at the Ministry on Friday that all citizens over the age of 18 who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will now be given a booster dose beginning Feb 13.

He stated that Covishield, AstraZeneca, Moderna, or Pfizer vaccines would be given as boosters. Giving information about the work done and future plans after assuming office, Minister Khatiwada said that the vaccination campaign has been launched under the leadership of the state and local governments by identifying the places and communities where the vaccine has not reached. He also said that the certificate of vaccination with QR code has been made available at the local level.

He said that the target of fully vaccinating one-third of the target population has been achieved by 2078 BS and the target has been set to provide full vaccination against COVID-19 to all the target population by end of Baisakh 2079 BS. Minister Khatiwada informed that 46.57 million 720 vaccines have been received so far and 34.825 million 601 vaccines have been administered. He said that the stock of necessary vaccines has been ensured.

Minister Khatiwada stated that work on the Nepal Health Sector Strategic Plan, 2079-2086, has begun on a joint initiative of the government and development partners with the goal of achieving sustainable development goals and that a draft with cost estimates would be ready in the next two months.

Similarly, for the first time in Nepal, a maternal mortality study based on Census 2078 has been completed at all three levels, including federal, state, and local, he said. So far, the construction of 2200 basic health service centers has been completed, and the tender process for 226 basic hospitals with 5, 10 beds has begun.