Nepal has so far vaccinated 21.2 million people against COVID. The number of those who have been vaccinated for the first dose is 13.3 million 99 thousand 607 and those who have been fully vaccinated are 94.50 million. The vaccination campaigns had started a year ago and till now the country has received six vaccines: Covidsheild, AstraZeneca, Vero Cell, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer/Biotech, and Moderna. While people above 18 years have been vaccinated, the vaccination campaign for children from 12 to 17 years is going on at the present.
Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Population Dr Roshan Pokharel said that till now Nepal has revied a total of 33.29 million 330 doses of vaccines out of which 12 million vaccines were procured by the Government and the rest came through Covax facility. He said that the government is moving ahead with the process of purchasing more vaccines to vaccinate everyone by mid-April 2022.
The government aims in vaccinating 66 per cent of the population by December and all by April.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has requested cooperation and coordination of all the state and local levels to achieve this goal. The Ministry of Finance and Health and Population of the Central Government has been instructed to provide necessary financial and manpower to the state government and local level to effectively conduct the vaccination campaign.
Till now 75 per cent of the population is vaccinated for the first time and 61 per cent for both doses in Bagmati province.
According to the ministry, 39 per cent of first-time vaccinators and 24 per cent of both are vaccinated in Province 2. Minister for Health and Population Birodh Khatiwada said that it would be difficult to reach the target set by the government if the vaccination program was not implemented effectively in all the states.
The number of vaccinators is also low in the far west and Karnali. In Karnali, only 47 per cent are vaccinated for the first dose and 27 per cent for both. Similarly, in the far-western states, 55 per cent have received the first dose and 35 per cent of both doses are vaccinated.
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