All Citizens will get Vaccines within 2021: PM Oli

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All Citizens will get Vaccines within 2021: PM Oli

July 12: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has stated that all citizens will be vaccinated by 2021. Inaugurating the newly-constructed surgical building of Bir Hospital on Sunday, Prime Minister Oli said that vaccines would arrive regularly to meet the goal.

He said that the government is monitoring the issue seriously. Thus, no one would be deprived of vaccination. "We have been providing the vaccine. It came yesterday, it came today, now it will come tomorrow as well," he said.

The government has been facing criticism from all quarters for not being able to meet the vaccination needs of citizens. Earlier, when the vaccination campaign was launched in the second week of January, Prime Minister Oli claimed that every Nepali would be vaccinated by April. Now, the PM claims that everyone will be vaccinated by the year-end; claiming that vaccines will arrive regularly.

The government had started the vaccination programme with 1 million doses of Covishield vaccine that was provided by India on January 29. Despite paying for the purchase of 2 million additional doses of vaccine, India has provided only 1 million doses. One million vaccines are yet to be provided by India. Senior citizens who have received the first dose of vaccine have been outraged by the non-arrival of the Covishield vaccine from India.

A total of 2.6 million vaccines have arrived in Nepal till date. Last year, 800,000 doses of vaccines were received in April, 1 million in May and 800,000 last Friday.

Spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Population, Dr. Krishna Prasad Paudel said that the government has bought 4 million doses of Vero Cell vaccine from China. In addition, the United States will provide 1.5 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine to Nepal.

Only one dose of  vaccine provided by the USA is enough against the Covid-.

According to Poudel, apart from the above listed vaccines, it is not yet clear how many vaccines will come from where. Stating that they are trying to buy vaccines, he said that they are not sure about the purchase of additional vaccines.

Spokesman Paudel said that 800,000 doses of vaccines brought from China on Friday will be given to citizens of the age group 60- to 64 years and the age group of 55-60 years. The date of the vaccination has not yet been fixed.

Poudel also said that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is said to be coming from the United States, is being prepared to be given to those who previously missed the vaccine, and those who are at-risk as well as differently abled people.

 

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