KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population is to provide additional one dose (third dose) of vaccine against COVID-19 to the frontline workers and all the citizens above 60 years, who have already been vaccinated with full dose of vaccine at least three months ago.

According to Secretary at the Ministry, Dr Roshan Pokharel shared that additional one dose of vaccine is to be administered to the frontline workers—doctors, health workers, security personnel from the third week of January and to the people with moderate to severe immunodeficiency and all the citizens above 60 years from last week of January.

Pokharel added that the additional one dose of vaccine against coronavirus is going to be administered in view of possible third wave of coronavirus. The infection rate, out of total test of coronavirus, is now 8.49 per cent in Nepal.

Coronavirus was detected on 986 people while conducting 14,971 tests on Friday. Similarly, Omicron variant was detected on 24 people on Friday. The Ministry is all set to administer additional one dose at the recommendation of COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee.

Earlier, a campaign to administer the additional one dose vaccine to those suffering from serious disease and people with moderate to severe immunodeficiency, was postponed launching only one day, January 4 after the Ministry decided to provide additional one dose vaccine only after administering full dose of vaccine against COVID-19 to all eligible citizens.

Similarly, cancer patients, organ transplant patients, HIV infected patients, patients taking immunosuppressive drugs during treatment would also get third dose of vaccine.