By Aasha Shah, Kathmandu, June 24: A total of 71.1 per cent of people who received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines in Nepal are yet to get their second jab.

According to the Child Health and Immunisation Section under the Department of Health Services, 2,582,195 million people have received vaccines against COVID-19 until now of which, only 745,744 i.e., 28.9 per cent, have been administered with the second dose.

The vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus kicked off in Nepal in January where Covishield vaccines provided by the government of India were administered to the front-line health workers, senior citizens, government officials, bank employees, and journalists among others.

A total of 1,812,628 people have received the first dose of Covishield until now. Dr. Jhalak Sharma Gautam, chief of the national immunisation department, said, "Some 507,606 people had participated in the vaccination campaign that went on from January 27 till February 22."

He added that the government was successful to vaccinate 87 per cent of the total targeted population.

Similarly, 1,369,522 people received the vaccine from March 7 to 23. In this phase of the government's vaccination drive, 15,856 Nepali Army officials received the first dose of Covishiled.

Around 451,394 people have already been vaccinated with the second dose of Covishield.

The second phase of the government's inoculation campaign began from April 7 till April 28 where 301,317 people received the Vero Cell vaccine provided to Nepal by the government of China under grant assistance.

Dr. Gautam said, "From April 7 till April 28, some 301,317 people participated in the government's inoculation campaign. Of which, 294,350 people have already received the second dose."

According to Dr. Gautam, only 6,967 people are yet to get the second jab.