SEPT 6: Made by CanSino, it has similar ingredients to its injected vaccine, using a harmless adenovirus as a carrier for the genetic code that teaches the body how to fight Covid.
Inhaled as a fine mist, Convidecia Air can provide good protection after just one breath, the company says.
Other researchers, including teams in the UK and the US, have been investigating nasal spray vaccines.
Scientists say these may give added immunity in the lining of the nose and upper airways, where Covid typically enters the body.
The National Medical Products Administration of China granted CanSino approval for its inhaled vaccine to be used as a booster dose.
It can top up protection in those who have previously had a jab, trials suggest.
Meanwhile, the latest Covid vaccine booster programme has begun in England, Wales and Scotland.
Infections are falling around the UK - but health bosses predict a resurgence of Covid and flu this autumn and winter.
They are urging those eligible to protect themselves from serious illness by being vaccinated against both.
A modified coronavirus vaccine that targets the Omicron variant can be administered as a booster dose to broaden immunity, a technical advisory group set up by the World Health Organization said.
KATHMANDU, June 10: The government is administering COVID-19 booster dose to children from Friday.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), children aged between 12 to 17 years will be inoculated with the dose from today.
All children who received their second COVID-19 vaccine three months ago are eligible for the booster dose, according to an official at the Health Ministry.
Children can visit health institutions or vaccine centers nearby to receive the vaccine.
KATHMANDU, Jan 16: The government is administering COVID-19 booster doses from today.
A ministerial-level meeting held at the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) on January 12 took a decision in this regard.
Here is the list of people who can receive it:
1) Health workers
2) Security personnel
3) Media personnel
4) Sanitation workers
5) Ambulance drivers
6) Hearse drivers
7) Officials at Tribhuvan International Airport
Similarly, senior citizens above the age of 60 will be provided a booster jab starting January 28.
The meeting also decided to provide booster shots to those whose vaccination period has already crossed six months.
France reported Tuesday 271,686 new cases of COVID-19 detected, the highest daily record since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country.
According to data released by the French Public Health Agency, a total of 20,186 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized and 3,665 of them are in intensive care.
Speaking on Tuesday afternoon to the French National Assembly, Health Minister Olivier Veran stressed the importance of vaccination, citing that vaccination helps people not to develop severe symptoms.
Discussions on the vaccine pass bill were suspended in parliament after midnight on Monday after a majority of MPs in the lower house voted to suspend the late-night session.
The vaccine pass bill would make it mandatory for people to show proof of vaccination to go to restaurants or cinemas or other public spaces and remove the option of showing a recent negative test.
Prime Minister Jean Castex called the National Assembly "irresponsible" to suspend the debates of the draft bill.
"We are in a race against time, the virus is jumping and you are pulling on the handbrake," he said.
France has shortened the period of self-isolation. With a full vaccination scheme, the self-isolation of seven days can be shortened to five days if a negative PCR test result or negative antigen test result is presented after the five days.
Those in close contact with a COVID-19 infected person, with a full vaccination scheme, won't have to undergo quarantine or self-isolation, but the preventive measures must be respected as well as doing regular tests.
For the unvaccinated, the self-isolation period of ten days can be shortened to seven days if a negative result of COVID-19 or negative antigen test result is presented after seven days.
Veran previously announced that, in order to keep the health pass validated, the delay between the second dose and the booster dose is going to be four months maximum, starting from Feb. 15.
Those having a valid health pass after receiving two doses of Chinese vaccines and one dose of mRNA vaccine will also need a booster shot.
At the time when the country is bracing for the possible third wave of COVID-19 as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is rapidly spreading across the globe, Ratopati talked to the Minister for Health and Population, Birodh Khathiwada regarding the preparations being made by the government to combat the situation:
As Nepal has already detected the cases of Omicron Variant of COVID-19 and the variant is spreading rapidly in our neighbouring and other countries, what sort of preparations are being made by the government to combat the possible outbreak?
It is a fact that Nepal is currently in a more comfortable position than previous days regarding the COVID-19 management. The best possible ways to combat the pandemic is maintaining social distance, wearing masks and washing hands time and often.
We have banned air travel to and from nine countries where the Omicron variant is rapidly spreading. Besides, those travelling from these countries via transit are mandatorily being tested for COVID-19 and kept in quarantine facilities for seven days even if they test negative for the virus. We have stopped providing visas on arrivals to foreign nationals for now.
Similarly, health desks are under operation at all 16 transit points of Nepal and India. Of them, quarantine facilities have been set up at eight transit points.
Likewise, six isolation wards (1000-bed capacity) of the Nepal Army are ready to provide services in case of COVID-19 outbreak. The number of COVID-19 Laboratories, ICUs and Hospitals have been expanded all across the country. Besides, compared to earlier days, we increased our ventilators, ICUs and Oxygen capacities by 60 percent.
Also, Both the people testing positive for the Omicron variant have already recovered and tested negative.
Public health experts have claimed that it is inappropriate to begin administering booster doses at a time when Nepal is yet to inoculate COVID-19 vaccine to all the eligible population. What do you say?
I have no idea on what basis those experts made their claim. So far 53.7 percent of the total population of the country have received their first dose while 44.5 percent have been fully vaccinated.
It might take another one year to vaccinate all the eligible population. Providing booster doses doesn’t mean halting or delaying the COVID-19 vaccination drive. Both the vaccine and booster doses will be administered simultaneously.
When will the government begin administering the booster doses?
In our early days of COVID-19 vaccination drive, we had begun by inoculating the vaccine to frontline workers. In this view, the booster will also be administered firstly to the as many as 900,000 frontline workers including health workers, journalists, security personnel and sanitation workers. Afterwards, the booster doses will be administered gradually to the general public.
And, in case of initiation, the government and stakeholders are currently under discussion and a decision will be made soon.
The government has set a target to fully vaccinate the eligible population by mid-April next year. Will the government meet its target on time?
It sure will. The government had earlier set a target to provide COVID-19 vaccine to eligible groups i.e people aged above 18 years and progress is being made accordingly.
When will children aged between 12 to 18 years get their COVID-19 vaccine?
The government will now begin administering COVID-19 vaccine to children aged between 12 to 18 years in their schools. The government has already sent money to buy 10 million doses of vaccine for this group. We are expecting the consignment by late December this year or early January next year. Once the vaccine arrives in Nepal, we will begin inoculating 5 million children.
Similarly, the government will also make arrangements for vaccines for children aged below 12 years soon after the World Health Organization approves the vaccine.
The erstwhile KP Sharma Oli-led government had inaugurated the establishment of 5 to 19-bed hospitals in all the local levels. What are its progress?
The erstwhile government inaugurated the establishment of hospitals in the local level from Baluwatar without allocating budget and making required preparations. We have no map, no DPR and even no lands for the construction.
Even Though, after I assumed the office here, we are gradually making preparations. Firstly, land for construction will have to be acquired, then DPR maps are to be finalized, budget is to be mobilized, and then only tenders for the constructions can be announced.
KATHMANDU, July 6: Government is administrating the second dose of Vero Cell vaccine to senior citizens from 60- 64 years from today.
The Ministry of Health and Population is facilitating for the vaccination drive against COVID-19 for the elderly of this age group through altogether 3,900 vaccination centres across the country.
There are 32 vaccination centres in Kathmandu district. Among them, 47 have been designated in the Kathmandu Valley alone. The beneficiaries need to mandatorily bring first dose vaccination card along with them. They can get the jab between 10 am to 4 pm.
Around 500,000 senior citizens are expected to get vaccinated this time. The second dose of
China-made vaccine will be given till July 8, the Ministry said. Those elderly who could not get the first dose of Vero Cell will be provided vaccine this time, according to Dr Jhalak Sharma Gautam, Head of the Department of Child Health and Vaccination in the Ministry.
A total of 759,954 beneficiaries (of different age groups) have received the second dose of Vero Cell as of now while the number of beneficiaries receiving the first dose stands at 2,622,807, according to the Ministry.
KATHMANDU, May 16: The government has started providing the second dose of Vero Cell vaccine against Covid-19 in Kathmandu from today.
The District Office, Kathmandu earlier issued a public notice, urging the people belonging to 18-59 age group who had got the first-dose shots to get the second one.
The vaccine is available at all 11 municipalities in the district till May 28 and the beneficiaries of the first-dose could visit nearby vaccination centers for the booster dose, said Office Public Health Administrator Buddhi Bahadur Khadka.
Those who were vaccinated within April 7-10 could get inoculated today while those who were administered the vaccine within April 11-12 could get their second dose on May 17.
Similarly, May 18 is slated for those who received the vaccine within April 13 to 15 and those who got inoculated on within April 16 to 17 could get vaccinated on May 19.
Likewise, May 20 is slated for those receiving vaccine within April 18 to 19 while May 21 for those getting vaccinated within April 20-23. Those receiving vaccine within April 24-25 can get their booster dose on May 22. May 23 is slated for those vaccinated on April 26.
May 24 is scheduled to give second dose to those getting their first one on April 27 and May 25 is for those getting their first dose on April 28.
The first dose of the China-manufactured Vero Cell was administered within April 7-28.
