KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population is preparing to give the Covishield vaccine to the people on the basis of priority in the second phase from the stock of the first phase.
As planned a total of 430,000 individuals would be inoculated in the first phase and others would be vaccinated in the second phase on their priority list after the completion of the first phase.
Under the immunization campaign that began on 27 January, a total of 145,844 people have been vaccinated till date and the remaining jabs of vaccine would be given to the needy ones, Ministry’s Spokesperson Dr. Jageshwor Gautam said.
The first phase of the vaccination drive will continue until 6 February.
The Indian government had provided 1,000,000 Covishield vaccines in grant assistance to Nepal.
“We have vaccinated only the health workers now. We plan to inoculate more people by 6 February. We will inoculate people in the immigration office, customs office, international airport, and elderly home,” Dr. Gautam shared.
According to Gautam, more jabs of vaccines are being preserved for the second phase as more health workers are abroad than the expected numbers. Spokesperson Dr. Gautam said that the remaining vaccines and second phase of the vaccination drive would be started at once.
The Ministry had targeted to vaccinate 30,000 government health workers, 60,000 female community health volunteers, and 250,000 others registered in the Health Council.
But, most of the health workers are abroad for employment even though they are registered in the Council, Dr. Gautam argued.
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