Kathmandu, Mar. 29: Vaccines are the main mitigation medium to combat COVID-19 hence the government has targeted to inoculate all eligible citizens by mid-April.

Nepal has fully vaccinated 65 per cent of its total population against COVID-19 so far. The government is intensifying vaccination campaign in full swing as it aims to fully vaccinate 100 per cent of those above 18 years by mid-April. To meet the target the government needs to vaccinate another 18 per cent of the people above 18 years of age within two weeks.
As the COVID-19 cases are declining on a daily basis, the number of people receiving vaccines has also declined, according to health experts.

Earlier, more than 2,500 people used to reach the vaccination centre at the Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital. Now, only around 300 people receive vaccines on a daily basis, said Dr. Manisha Rawal, director at the hospital.
Most of the people who are going abroad receive the jab against COVID-19 these days, said Dr. Rawal. Very few people are receiving first dose/second dose or booster shot in the hospital, added Dr. Rawal.

Dr. Sangita Mishra, spokesperson at the MoHP, asked all above 12 years of age to get vaccinated. “No one is safe unless everyone is, so all the citizens are requested to get vaccinated without delay,” she added.
The government has secured sufficient doses of vaccines and people should contact with respective ward office and get the jab, said Dr. Mishra.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), of the total population, 21,984,499 people had received their first dose of vaccine against COVID-19 and that 18,987,229 had received their full dose as of Monday. In total, 106,097 people were vaccinated in the last 24 hours.

The people were vaccinated either with AstraZeneca vaccine (manufactured in India, Japan, and Europe), Vero Cell, developed by China’s Sinopharm, and Johnson & Johnson vaccine of the United States of America.
As per the data of the MoHP, more than 39 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been safely administered in Nepal till date, achieving 75.3 per cent first dose coverage and 65 per cent second dose or full vaccination coverage among the total targeted population.

Similarly, the first dose and second dose coverage for the 18 years and above target group is 93.3 per cent and 82 per cent respectively.
Dr. Roshan Pokharel, secretary at the MoHP, claimed that no country could meet cent per cent vaccination target. It is a big milestone to vaccinate 82 per cent of the target population, he added.
The coverage of first dose and second dose among children and adolescents in the 12-17 years age group stands at 91 per cent and 71 per cent respectively.

As per the data of the MoHP, the country has received more than 47 million doses of vaccines including AstraZeneca, Vero Cell, Johnson and Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer. Earlier, the Election Commission had also asked all eligible voters to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before the election which is scheduled to be held on May 13 this year.