KATHMANDU: The government has claimed that it will bring about 20 million doses of vaccine against COVID-19 in Nepal by mid-October.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, the vaccine will reach 183,82,850 people in the country by mid-October and all Nepalis by mid-April.

Minister of State for Health and Population Umesh Shrestha said in a meeting of various high-ranking officials including the Home Minister on Sunday that a total of 3.2 million doses of vaccines (1.6 million Chinese and 1.6 million Japanese) are arriving within a week.

Earlier on July 30, the Ministry of Health and Population had issued a statement stating that the vaccine would be delivered to all Nepalis by mid-April.

According to Dr Krishna Prasad Poudel, the spokesperson at the Health Ministry, an agreement has been reached to purchase additional six million doses from a Chinese Synopharm company.

The 1.6 million doses of AstraZeneca announced by Japan and 1 million doses purchased from India are coming soon. In addition, a total of 183,82,850 doses of vaccine against COVID-19 will be available in Nepal by mid-October.

Similarly, 15 million doses of vaccine will be brought under COVAX program and the process of purchasing six million doses of Pfizer vaccines for children above 12 years has been initiated.

The ministry stated that the remaining 11.3 million doses of vaccine will be available to all Nepalis by mid-April.