KATHMANDU: Minister for Health and Population Birodh Khatiwada has claimed that the vaccination campaign the government had launched against COVID-19 minimized the risks in the second and third waves.

The Minister thanked all people and the concerned sectors on the completion of first year of the vaccination drive.

“Our collective efforts should minimize the potential risks and all sides’ cooperation is essential to get rid of the pandemic- the biggest challenge facing the present generation,” Minister Khatiwada stressed.

According to him, after the vaccine producing countries, Nepal was in the front to launch the vaccination drive.

Currently, Covishield, AstraZeneca, Vero Cell, Jansen and Jansen, Moderna, Pfizer vaccinations are in use in Nepal.

He also informed that more than 42 million doses of vaccines were imported so far in Nepal.

Among the imported vaccines, more than 30 million doses were used. The vaccination drive for the children above 12 years had begun.

Seventy percent of the target population above 18 year has got full dose while 83 percent got a single dose.

Similarly, 1.8 million people in the age group of 12 to 17 year have got first dose of vaccination while the 350 thousand got the second dose.

Moreover, nearly 300 thousand people working in the frontline have got the booster dose, according to the Health Ministry.

Minister Khatiwada extended gratitude to all national and international agencies, organizations, people’s representatives, health workers and employees mobilized in the vaccine management and coordination at the government levels for their support and cooperation to make campaign effective.