By Our Reporter
The United States of America and Japan have donated 3.1 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Nepal as a grant through COVAX facility.
While the USA handed over 1.53 million doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine against COVID-19 on Monday at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Japan Tuesday announced to donate about 1.6 million doses of Japanese-made COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine to Nepal as a grant through COVAX facility.
Motegi Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Tuesday officially made that announcement.
A flight ferrying the single-dose vaccine vials provided by the US government to Nepal landed in the Tribhuvan International Airport Monday morning. The US-donated vaccines were delivered to Nepal in partnership with the COVAX global vaccine initiative and UNICEF.
Speaking at the arrival ceremony, US Ambassador Randy Berry said that the vaccine which requires only one shot are gift to Nepal on behalf of the American people and have the singular purpose of saving lives.
The exact shipping schedule of the Japan-donated vaccines will be confirmed once the procurement arrangement will be finalised by the international organisation which is in charge of the matter, according to a press statement issued by the Embassy of Japan in Kathmandu on Tuesday.
The Japan-donated vaccines will effectively assist the second vaccination of elderly people who already had the first vaccination of Covisheld, the AstraZeneca-type vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India. Over 1.4 million elderly who got the first jab of Covishield in February is still unable to get the second jab in lack of vaccines.
Besides, they would be useful in proceeding with the vaccination campaign for the young generations who are not yet vaccinated.
The Embassy of Japan has been working with the government of Nepal to tackle COVID-19 together by assisting Nepali hospitals with medical equipment in multiple ways, read the statement.
US government dispatched the said amount of jabs to Nepal under COVAX facility, and in line with US President Joe Biden’s pledge to donate a batch of 80 million US-made vaccines globally to counter vaccine disparity.
The arrival of the American vaccine offers a big relief for the government, which is struggling to secure enough doses to inoculate 72 per cent of the population.
Earlier in March, Nepal had received 348,000 doses of Covishield through the COVAX facility. This is the second consignment of the vaccines received under the COVAX facility.
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