Small number of people in Kanchanpur get booster shot

KATHMANDU: There was a slim number of people getting vaccinated a booster shot in Kanchanpur district despite the government intensifying the ‘booster shot’ campaign across the country, said the district health office.

Following the increasing cases of COVID-19 especially in neighbouring India with which Nepal shares the open border, and the cross mobility of people increases risks, the government has stepped up measures against the infection.

It has launched the nation-wise booster shot campaign and urged people to strictly follow the health protocols like wearing facemasks, gloves, using sanitizers, and avoiding crowds etc.

But, in the district, there was a small number of people opting for the booster shots, said Janak Kunwar of the health office, Kanchanpur.

“Most of the people who got the first dose did not show up for the second shot. There was a small number of people opting for the first dose as well,” he said.

The booster shot will be administered to people above 55 years of age, health workers and the people with low immunity.

Of around 5,000 booster shots in stock at the health section of Bedkot Municipality, only approximately 1,000 have been used as of Saturday, which was low, said Harisha Pal, the health section chief. The number could increase until coming Monday, the last day of the campaign, she added. “We launched the campaign intensively. But, only a few number of people are showing up for the shot,” she said.

Similarly, the health section of Bhimdatta Municipality has got 10,000 doses. But, it has got only a few amounts used so far, said the health section chief Narendra Raj Joshi. “The situation has been so much that we are thinking about returning the shots without people interested in receiving them,” he said.

According to the health office, only 48.30 percent population of the district have been administered COVID-19 vaccines. Of the figure, 404,545 have got the first dose, 364,785 second and 216,667 third.