KATHMANDU: Nepal will be receiving 1.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines (for booster dose) from the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) next month.

According to the government, the GAVI has confirmed dispense of such quantity of vaccine to Nepal on February 2.

As the Family Welfare Division, Department of Health Services said, the vaccines will be arriving in the first week of February.

Division Chief Sagar Dahal said in response to a letter that Nepal wrote to the GAVI on December 29 asking it for the supplies of vaccines for the administration of booster dose, the second party promises the supplies from the United States of America under the COVAX facility.

Nepal decided to request the Gavi for fresh supplies of vaccines bearing in mind increasing risk of COVID-19 infection.

It will be getting Pfizer vaccines to administer booster dose following the Department of Drugs Administration (DDA)’s approval for the ‘emergency use’ for booster dose.

The Ministry has urged one and all those getting the booster dose earlier to receive it in the aftermath of increasing case of FB.7, the sub-variant of Omicron virus in neighbouring India and China.

Similarly, the Ministry has urged one and all to follow the health protocols: use of face mask, observation of physical distancing, hand wash with soap and water and regular use of sanitizer regularly as preventive measures against the virus.