Ajita Rijal

With the completion 100 days in office, the present government has given a strong push to the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign, ranking it a top national priority. As the vaccine is the only way to control the coronavirus pandemic, the government has planned to inoculate the entire eligible citizens by mid-April next year, as part of the COVID-19 national vaccination response.

Nepal was among the first countries to roll out the immunisation drive against COVID-19 around nine months ago in late January this year, a little over a year after the country confirmed its first coronavirus case in late January 2020. The country started its first COVID vaccination drive with 1 million doses of the Covishield (AstraZeneca) vaccine gifted by India, then under its Vaccine Maitri programme.

During the first phase of the 10-day (during January-February 2021) nationwide vaccination drive 1,84,745 people got jobs across the country. The number was only around 43 per cent of the originally planned figure. It appeared that even health workers and other frontliners seemed to lack confidence in the vaccines and showed reluctance.

Later, people soon realised the value of getting the vaccine, as its importance and efficacy were highly identified after Nepal was hit with the second wave of COVID-19 in mid-April 2021. However, the vaccination campaign faltered after India, the world's largest vaccine maker, banned vaccine exports to fulfil the country's increasing demand.

After an initial hitch, the vaccination drive gathered momentum after doses started to arrive in the country, procured or provided in grant assistance or through the COVAX facility.
Over the past few months, despite the challenges, the government has successfully demonstrated a rapid rollout of COVID-19 vaccination to the wider population, scaling up vaccination in the recent months. However, uncertainty regarding supplies and shortage of vaccine doses remain a challenge to vaccinate the targeted populations.

The Sher Bahadur Deuba-headed government, formed around mid-July, activated multiple channels- official and diplomatic–to acquire vaccines from various vaccine manufacturing countries including China, Britain, Japan and the United States as well as obtaining more vaccines under the COVAX facility. With more vaccines secured and arriving in the country, the vaccination campaign gained better momentum and is ongoing at a faster pace now.

Targets Achieved

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had pledged to implement the inoculation drive against COVID-19 with top priority shortly after assuming office on July 13.
The government has insisted that it would leave no stone unturned in purchasing required vaccines. The government has already allocated necessary budget to purchase the vaccines and ensure free and equal distribution to the people.

The coverage of the COVID-19 inoculation campaign has exceeded its target, as of late. The government had set a goal of vaccinating one-third of the target group by the end of mid-October.    
According to official data from the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), 42.2 per cent of the target group has so far received the first dose while 33.5 per cent are fully vaccinated.

The government had targeted to vaccinate 21,756,763 population above 18 years. Before PM Deuba's appointment to the post, 2,611,807 people had received their first doses of vaccines, while 932,868 people had received full doses.

According to the Child Health and Immunisation Section of the Department of Health Services, under the MoHP, 18,858,710 doses of vaccines have arrived in the country.

50 Million Doses Secured

In line with the declaration of PM Deuba, the government has adopted a policy of bringing vaccines from countries supplying the vaccines as grants and even by purchasing from China and India.
The government has planned to provide vaccines to 33 per cent of the targeted population by October 17, two-thirds of the targeted population by mid-January 2022 and all of the targeted population by mid-April 2022. The government has managed 17.7 million doses of vaccine.

After the former State Minister for Health and Population Umesh Shrestha resumed his office at the ministry, he was successful in inoculating frontliners, teachers, officials and businesspersons.
More than 300,000 people were inoculated in a single day. Senior citizens who waited for more than six months to receive the second dose of the Covishield vaccine were also inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. Similarly, the MoHP arranged vaccines for students appearing in the national board exams.

Out of the 1.6 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines received from Japan, the MoHP provided them to Grade 12 students sitting for the exams, on a need basis. College students were also provided jabs. The vaccination campaign focused on densely populated cities. According to the MoHP, altogether, the country has received 18,857,590 doses of Vero Cell, AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson vaccines.

Government Efforts

The government has made frantic efforts and pleas to various vaccine-manufacturing countries to provide it with vital jabs.
The government has planned to secure 50.5 million doses of vaccines in total. The secured vaccines will arrive shortly.

Pfizer and Moderna vaccines meant for children below 18 years of age will arrive soon. The government had already concluded the purchase of 10 million doses of vaccines for children, according to MoHP.

It has set aside funds to purchase vaccines, and both the World Bank and Asian Development Bank are providing funds as well.

Of them, 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines will arrive soon and children will be vaccinated by mid-November/December this year.

According to former state minister Shrestha, 10 million doses of vaccine has been secured for children. The current government has secured 4 million doses of Moderna and 6 million doses of Pfizer vaccines for children. The government has decided to procure vaccines in cost-sharing channels through the global vaccine alliance (GAVI).

The government has already purchased 10 million doses of the Vero Cell vaccine from China. A deal has been reached with COVAX to purchase 9.9 million doses through a cost-sharing mechanism.
The government has also prepared to purchase 100,620 doses of vaccines for the age group 12-18 years old till the end of this month.   The government is also receiving 1,600,000 doses of Vero Cell COVID-19 vaccines from China over the period.

The long-awaited 1 million doses of procured Covishield vaccines have also arrived from India. The government has repeatedly assured that there would be no scarcity of vaccines.
Securing Shots For Children

Earlier, vaccine supply was the biggest challenge faced by the authorities to scale up the vaccination campaign across the nation. Nevertheless, with the continuous efforts made by the present government, vaccines have been arriving in hordes. Minister for Health and Population Birodh Khatiwada has said that the government will avail remaining amount of vaccines as 50 per cent of them have already arrived.

A total of 20.6 million doses of vaccines were already secured. According to minister Khatiwada, 6 million doses of the Vero cell vaccine from China is arriving soon. The government is receiving 13.4 million doses of vaccines from China. As India has already started inoculating children above 2 years old to 12 years old, the government is initiating to avail same vaccines. Besides, 20 million doses of vaccines would be required in Nepal.

Of which most children would need the vaccine. An agreement has already been made with America for the procurement of vaccines needed for children above 12 years of age.

Full Vaccination by Mid-April 2022

The government targets to vaccinate all eligible Nepalis against COVID-19 by mid-April next year. If the government inoculates its citizen at the same pace, it will vaccinate all eligible citizens by mid-April next year. So far, 77 per cent population of Kathmandu Valley have already received full doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Among them, 85 per cent have received the first dose. Similarly, inoculation drive has been continuously conducted in tourist areas including the tourist-hubs, Chitwan and Pokhara.

The previous government was vaccinating as per age group but the current government is providing vaccines to people working in hotels, tourism and business sector including students of higher secondary and college levels.

Improving Entire Health Sector

The government is planning to upgrade the service standard of hospitals after managing vaccines. It is working to improve treatment facilities for cancer, kidney, heart diseases and other critical diseases.

According to Minister Khatiwada, the ministry is planning to promote public health and upgrade the capacity of district and provincial hospitals.
The MoHP had formed a high-level committee to curb the spread of coronavirus and for effective implementation regular health services.

According to Minister Khatiwada, the MoHP has planned to make the required decision to deliver health services for non-COVID patients based on the decision made by the committee. The committee will coordinate with provincial and local levels to provide health services effectively.

The health sector lacks an adequate workforce for which the government plans to increase the staffing deployment number for the health sector. The basic 15-bedded hospitals will be constructed at local levels as it provides relief to the people, especially those living in remote areas of the country as per the MoHP plans.

(A journalist at this daily, Ajita writes on health issues)