Source::RSS
RSS
KATHMANDU
The government plans to vaccinate 72 percent of Nepal's population against the coronavirus. When more than two-thirds of the total population is vaccinated, they are able to function at the community level and do not have to vaccinate others.
Dr. Sameer Kumar Adhikari, Joint Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Population, said that the children have not been vaccinated yet and there is a plan to vaccinate all but them.
As the vaccine that is being developed now has been tested only on the age group of 15 years and above, the same group of people will also be vaccinated in Nepal. Nepal has 28 percent of the population under the age of 15 and will not be vaccinated. He said that he would also be vaccinated after passing the test in the age group above children.
The government will vaccinate 20 percent of the population in the first phase. The ministry is preparing to bring in free vaccines under the Covax facility, a three-organization organization called the World Health Organization, Global Vaccine Alliance Gavi and Sepi. The Covax facility will provide free vaccinations to poor and low-income countries.
Coordinator of the Covid-19 Vaccination Advisory Committee, Dr. Shyam Raj Upreti, informed that a diplomatic letter has been sent for the vaccine to be brought.
Out of the 20 percent coming in the first phase, three percent will be given to health workers, security personnel and the elderly at the beginning. The government will bring the remaining 52 percent of the vaccine from the diplomatic mission as per the government-to-government (GTG) public procurement regulations and through contract. According to him, the government has allocated Rs. 48 billion for vaccination.
Vaccines for Pfizer & Bioentech, Moderna (USA), Oxford-AstraZeneca (UK), Sputnik-V and Gamalia (Russia) and Synovax (China) are currently in final testing. The Pfizer vaccine has been successfully tested and recently recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Which vaccine is suitable for Nepal?
Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine seems to be suitable for Nepal. Pfizer's vaccine should be kept at minus 80 degree Celsius and Moderna's vaccine should be kept at minus 20 degree Celsius. Experts say that both the vaccines are not suitable for Nepal.
"The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which is currently being tested, can be kept at two to eight degrees Celsius, so it would be appropriate," said Dr Adhikari, a spokesman for the ministry. "It is not possible for us to have a vaccine at a very low temperature," he said. He said that only a few hospitals have the capacity to keep the vaccine at a very low temperature.
The ministry has started increasing the storage capacity of the vaccine as preparations have been made to bring the vaccine. Orientation training has also been given to the managers to manage the vaccine storage. Dr. Upreti informed that preparations for bringing the vaccine are in full swing.
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