By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Aug. 31: The government has decided to postpone the testing of vaccines against the COVID-19, which are under trial, for now. Decision to this effect was taken on the basis of consultations with the experts.
However, research and study regarding the reliability of the vaccines will continue.
Dr. Pradeep Gyawali, member secretary at the National Health Research Council (NHRC), said, “Import of vaccines comes with a lot of consequences and the political, economic and social status of the nation might as well be affected. Thus, we have decided to postpone the collective testing of vaccines against COVID-19 for now to prevent the nation from facing any kind of consequences as such.”
“It is not guaranteed that the testing of vaccines will be successful in Nepal via collective testing. The experts undisputedly said that the vaccines should be tested only after detailed study and analysis,” said Dr. Gyawali. “However, we have decided to welcome the clinical and laboratory tests of the vaccine.”
Dr. Gyawali clarified that the collective testing would not be conducted in human beings.
The government had shown interest in conducting the third phase trial of the vaccines developed by the Oxford University, China and Russia. India had also put effort on conducting the test of protein vaccine developed by it.
The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has given the responsibility of studying, researching and analysing the vaccines developed across the world against COVID-19 to the NHRC. The NHRC had organised a meeting with all the concerned authorities to weigh the consequences of the testing of the vaccines in Nepal. The meeting

concluded that the collective testing of vaccines under trial should not be done at the moment.
Altogether 76 people, including representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Nepal, health experts, high-level officials of various ministries and other special sector were present in the discussion.