KATHMANDU: The Chinese government has handed over 1.6 million doses of vaccines against COVID-19 to Nepal.
Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi, handed over the Vero Cell vaccines to Minister of Health and Populations, Birodh Khatiwada, amidst a program in the capital on Wednesday.
On the occasion, Health Minister Khatiwada said the handover of the anti-COVID vaccines to Nepal by China has helped strengthen Nepal-China relations.
"Vaccines provided by the Chinese government will help Nepal government's goal to vaccinate all eligible populations in Nepal by April, 2022," he added. He extended gratitude to the Chinese government for the important assistance.
Similarly, Chinese Ambassador Yanqi believed the Vero Cell vaccines assistance would help Nepal achieve its target to vaccinate people against the virus. She also said such assistance at difficult times would further enhance the relations and friendship between the two countries.
Yanqi also informed that the Chinese military would extend 300 thousand doses of vaccines to Nepal Army. The consignment will arrive in Nepal coming Friday. Discussion was underway to extend further 3 million doses of anti-COVID vaccines to Nepal.
China has so far provided 15.9 million doses of vaccines. Among which, 3.4 million doses were received on grant, according to Health Ministry Secretary Dr Roshan Pokhrel.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has said the vaccination with the first dose of the Vero Cell scheduled to be administered today was brought to halt due to the lack of vaccines.
KATHMANDU, August 19: As many as 800,000 doses of anti Covid-19 vaccine - Vero Cell- has arrived in the country Wednesday evening.
According to the spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population Dr Krishna Prasad Poudel, the vaccines were ferried from China via a wide body aircraft of Nepal Airlines.
Of total 1.6 million doses of vaccines recently purchased by Nepal, 800,000 were brought in this lot while remaining 800,000 doses will be reached here this evening.
According to Spokesperson, 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca granted by Japan will also be arrived here till coming Saturday. The Ministry has notified that the anti COVID-19 vaccines would be administered to the people following priority to the targeted age groups.
So far, Nepal has received 11.6 million doses of vaccines from different countries. Meanwhile, the government has set a goal of ensuring anti COVID-19 vaccines to targeted 33 percent people by the end of September and to targeted all by April 2022.
According to Ministry record, 4,795,902 individuals have received first dose of the vaccine while 3649,760 have received complete dose.
POKHARA, July 16: Chief Minister of Gandaki Province Krishna Chandra Nepali led team has reached Chumnubri Rural Municipality of Northern Gorkha today.
The CM led team reached there with anti COVID-19 vaccines. The Rural Municipality is waiting for 3,500 doses of vaccines. The high level team reached there via a chopper carrying 3,000 doses of Vero Cell vaccines.
He also shared that the province government will soon manage the second doses of the vaccines there.
The high level team comprises Madhu Maya Gurung, Minister for Health and Population, Harisharan Acharya, Minister for Energy, Irrigation and water Resources, chief secretary Dr Damodar Regmi of the province.
It is shared that the vaccines were reached via helicopter due to poor condition of the road networks.
KATHMANDU, July 9: A consignment of the China-manufactured anti-COVID-19 vaccine, Vero Cell, has arrived in Nepal. The vaccines procured from China were brought to Nepal on a wide-body aircraft A 330 of Nepal Airlines Corporation at 6 am today.
NAC, the national flag-carrier, had sent the aircraft to China on Thursday evening to bring the vaccine.
Chief expert at the Ministry of Health and Population, Dr Roshan Pokharel shared that the vaccine purchased by the government arrived here this morning. He said 800 thousand doses or 13 thousand kilogrammes vaccines arrived today in the first phase.
It has not been specified the amount of vaccines being brought to Nepal as per the non-disclosure agreement between the government and the vaccine manufacturing company. The vaccine is being brought regularly through three flights until July 23.
Dr Pokharel said the vaccines are being stored at the cold storage facility at Teku. The vaccines would be sent throughout the country.
The government has the target of administering the vaccines to 22 million population. So far the first dose vaccines have been given to 2 million 611 thousand 807 people while 933 thousand 868 people have been administered the second dose as well.
LALITPUR, July 8 :The second dose of anti COVID-19 vaccines is being administered in Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC) on July 11 and 12.
According to LMC chief administrator Ganesh Aryal, the Vero Cell vaccines would be administered to the locals of age 60 to 64. He added that the vaccines would be administered from all 29 ward offices of the LMC.
Aryal has urged all targeted groups to compulsorily bring the vaccination cards.
Similarly, Mahalaxmi and Godavari Municipalities are managing vaccination programmes on Friday.
Likewise, such vaccination programme is scheduled for Friday in Konjyosom and Mahankal rural municipalities while Bagmati rural municipality will administer vaccines on July 9 and 10.
Nepal has received 800,000 doses of Vero Cell Covid-19 vaccines from China as a grant on Tuesday. This is the first lot of the one million doses that Chinese President Xi Jinping announced to give to Nepal last week.
After failing to receive one million doses of the purchased Covishield Covid-19 vaccines from India on time, Nepal has launched another initiative to buy two million Vero Cell Covid-19 vaccines from China.
