Kathmandu, January 12
The government has written to the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation seeking additional 1.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to be administered as booster dose in line with the possible forecast increment of the infection.
The Ministry of Health and Population today requested GAVI for additional dispatch of vaccines. Sagar Dahal, the chief of the Child Health and Immunisation Section, Child Welfare Division, the Department of Health Services, confirmed that it had requested GAVI in writing in line with the rapid increment of the new variant of COVID-19 in the two large bordering nations China and India.
A new batch of 1.5 million doses of booster vaccine sent by GAVI is set to arrive by February 3, which the government had requested on December 29.
"However, looking at the infection rate in the neighbouring countries, we fear that the number won't be enough. So we officially asked them for a new batch which I think will be very important for saving lives," Dahal said.
However, he also said that the government could not completely rely on the GAVI as the shipment was still not guaranteed.
The number of people opting to take the third dose or the booster dose of vaccine is also not very high. Only three per cent of total Nepalis who received two doses of the vaccine took the third vaccine and it's almost similar around the world.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 13, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
