Minister for Health and Population, Hridayesh Tripathi said that Nepal is receiving 348,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines under the World Health Organisation’s COVAX facility on Sunday.

Minister Tripathi informed that in total the vaccines under COVAX program would suffice for 20 per cent of people in Nepal. Among the SAARC countries, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal only are receiving vaccines from COVAX.

Addressing a press conference, minister Tripathy said that the second phase of vaccination begins after the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will receive the vaccine against COVID-19 at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Maharajgunj at 10 am on Sunday

To mark the commencement of second phase of vaccination drive against COVID-19 in Nepal, Oli will be administered the vaccine.

At a press briefing organised by the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), Minister Tripathi said that the government has made various efforts for the availability of vaccine to all the citizens.

The vaccination drive enters the new phase from tomorrow, said Minister Tripathi and asked all to help the vaccination drive to make it successful.

“For the first ten days, we will administer citizens above 65 years of age and then will continue to administer the vaccine to people above 55 years of age,” said Minister Tripathi.

The second phase of vaccination drive is very important as most vulnerable groups are prioritized in this phase, added Minister Tripathi.

Dr. Jageshwar Gautam, spokesperson for the MoHP, the government plans to vaccinate as many as 1.6 million senior citizens above 65 years of age in the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

The campaign would be conducted at more than 6,000 vaccination centres and 15,000 health workers will be mobilized across the nation, said Dr. Gautam. Similarly, people above 55 will be administered the vaccine against the disease with the availability of vaccines, informed Dr. Gautam.

Dr. Gautam, the vaccination campaign will last for about 20 days, with the first 10 days being allocated for those above 65 years of age and the remaining 10 days for people between 55 to 64 years of age.

One million doses of Covishield were provided and brought to Nepal on January 21, under the grant assistance from the Indian government. Another one million purchased Covishield vaccines have also arrived in Nepal.

According to the MoHP, 429,705 persons have received the first dose of the vaccine, which is 1.4 per cent of the total population in the first phase of vaccination campaign.