KATHMANDU:  Around 400,000 doses of Japan-manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine meant for Nepal are arriving in Kathmandu today.

According to the Ministry of  Health and Population, 800,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are arriving today and tomorrow.

Earlier, the Embassy of Japan in Kathmandu had said approximately the half of 1.6 million vaccines pledged by Japan will be delivered to Nepal.

The latter half of the Japanese-donated vaccines for Nepal will be shipped to Kathmandu in due course, under the arrangements with the relevant organizations, it said.

Ambassador Kikuta Yutaka said that these Japanese COVID-19 vaccines will be utilized expeditiously for the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, with good coordination by the Ministry of Health and Population of Nepal.

In this pandemic, the Embassy of Japan has been tackling COVID-19 together with the Government of Nepal to save more Nepali people’s lives, it said.

Vaccination assistance is one of Japan’s challenges even in the hardship; Ambassador Kikuta said adding that they look forward to working for the post-COVID society and economy of Nepal.