The fresh achievement made by some of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies like Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech in the development of a vaccine against the COVID-19 has created rays of hope among the people worldwide. Many other companies are also in the process of developing vaccines against the viral contagion that has emerged as a major global public health emergency. Once the vaccines come to the market, they may help ease the existing crisis. Developed nations such as the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, among others, are now preparing for launching a vaccination drive to protect the life of their citizens from this deadly virus disease. As the companies are not now in a position to produce the vaccine in adequate quantity to meet the global demand, it may be difficult for the poor nations to have access to the life-saving innoculation immediately. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is coordinating global efforts to create vaccines and distribute them to all nations as soon as possible.
Anyway, Nepal has intensified its efforts to bring the vaccine against the COVID-19 when it is available. The federal government has sent separate diplomatic notes to the countries that have conducted the third phase of trials of the coronavirus vaccine. The government has urged them to make the vaccine available. As per a news report carried by this daily on Wednesday, the government has called upon friendly nations like India, China, the USA, the UK, Germany, Russia and Australia to support Nepal in this connection. The government is planning to bring the vaccine in the country through government-to-government deals or through WHO faicilitation. As the parliamentary session is not in operation over the past couple of months, the government has revised laws through an ordinance to ensure a smooth supply of vaccines. This step has paved the way for the government to import the coronavirus vaccine as well as other essential drugs. In the initial phase, the government should plan for administering the inoculation against COVID-19 to frontline workers like doctors, nurses, lab technicians, security personnel, elderly people and other vulnerable groups.
Meanwhile, Minister for Health and Population Bhanubhakta Dhakal said that the government is working on a war footing to handle the coronavirus crisis on the basis of the nation's capacity and means and resources. According to him, the government has focussed on managing beds with oxygen supply and medicines in more and more hospitals and health centres across the country. As of Tuesday, a total of 1,681,299 PCR tests have been conducted across the country. The number of persons infected with the coronavirus has reached 224,078. Of them, the number of active cases has stood at 17,859 while a total of 1,361 people have died. This shows that the death rate is now 0.61 per cent. The country is witnessing 15 to 25 deaths due to COVID-19 on daily basis. With more than 80 per cent of the infected cases being asymptomatic, there is a misconception among the people that the pandemic is not so serious. Everybody must remain alert against this virus disease and abide by the health protocols rigorously to remain safe from it.