The single-dose Janssen vaccines provided by the United States government under the COVAX facility of the United Nations will be administered to concerned people in Kathmandu district from July 19.
The District COVID-19 Vaccine Coordination and Monitoring Committee has informed the vaccines will administered through 44 vaccination centres from July 19 to 21.
While speaking to NepalNews, Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari, Spokesperson of the Health Ministry, said that the ministry had directed the concerned committees of all 77 districts of the country to start administering the vaccines from today. However, the responsibility of selecting the dates when the vaccines will be administered and the vaccination centres has been assigned to the respective District COVID-19 Vaccine Coordination and Monitoring Committees, he added.
The Ministry of Health and Population has decided to provide the Janssen vaccines to people between 50 and 54 years old. Similarly, people who are totally or very seriously disabled will also be administered the vaccine.
The ministry has said refugees living in Nepal and healthcare workers and those involved in garbage management who had missed out on the vaccine earlier will also be allowed to take the vaccine.
The District COVID-19 Vaccine Coordination and Monitoring Committee has also mentioned that 25 more vaccination centres could be opened in Kathmandu metropolitan.
The single-dose Janssen vaccines had arrived in Kathmandu on July 12. The Janssen Ad26.CoV2.S vaccine, which is a single-dose vaccine, is manufactured by American pharmaceuticals giant Johnson & Johnson.
The vaccines were brought to Nepal via a regular flight of Qatar Airways.
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