KATHMANDU, JULY 28

The Government of France has delivered 702,720 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to Nepal through the CO- VAX Facility, offering a boost to the country's ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive.

The latest donation had been divided into separate shipments received across the months of June and July, with the final installment of the donation arriving at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu today.

France had been the first country worldwide to donate vaccines to the CO- VAX mechanism when global COVID-19 vaccination efforts began in early 2021. Since then, France has remained one of the top donors to COVAX over the years, a testament to the government's commitment to support vaccine coverage worldwide, especially in vulnerable countries hit hard by the pandemic.

On the occasion, French Ambassador to Nepal, Gilles Bourbao reiterated one of France's key positions: working with partners in multilateral platforms to address global issues, the COVID-19 crisis being no exception.

France had previously donated 685,400 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to Nepal through COVAX in 2022. More recently, 195,840 Pfizer-BioNTech's bi-valent vaccines were donated as part of a joint team Europe donation in April 2023.

While Nepal currently sees relatively low number of daily new COVID-19 infections, the government is still running the vaccination programme, given the continued need to protect the communities.

This is particularly crucial for vulnerable populations such as those with compromised immunity, existing health issues and comorbidities, elderly, pregnant women, among others.

A version of this article appears in the print on July 29, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.