Kathmandu, August 6
Thanks to the support it is receiving from Bhutan and Japan, the government is finally giving the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to the 65+ age group, who had been given the first dose in March, beginning from Monday next week.
The group had to wait for five long months as the Indian company did not supply one million doses of the Covishield vaccines, an AstraZeneca type, although Nepal had already paid for it.
Now, with Bhutan delivering 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines today and Japan delivering 800,000 doses this weekend, the government has fixed the schedule.
Dr Jhalak Sharma Gautam, the chief of the Vaccination Section under the Department of Health Services, says the vaccination campaign will begin in Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces on Monday whereas it will expand to provinces 1 and 2 once Japan supplies the next 800,000 million doses.
He clarifies the two provinces can also be sent some vaccines if available before Japan is sending them.
Around 1.35 million people are waiting for the second dose of an AstraZeneca vaccine. Most of them are senior citizens.
