By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Jan. 20: Nepal will soon be receiving COVID-19 vaccines, produced by Bharat Biotech, from the Indian Government as an aid.
“The detail of vaccine that is to be provided to Nepal by the government of India is going to be revealed within a few days. After that, the vaccines of the first phase will be sent to Nepal,” informed Nilamber Acharya, ambassador of Nepal to India.
According to ambassador Acharya, a few doses of vaccines would be provided to Nepal as grant while the remaining would be procured by the Nepal government.
Although efforts are being made to import COVID-19 vaccines for the entire population of Nepal from India, the Indian government is all set to send the vaccines that would be enough for three per cent of the total population.
“We had been striving to procure the vaccines from India while the vaccine was in the third phase of clinical trial. Discussions between the vaccine producers and officials of the Health Ministry had taken place to make arrangements to import the vaccines,” Acharya said.

According to Acharya, preparations were underway to import vaccines for 40 per cent of the total population. “The vaccines to be brought on the first phase would be provided for the frontline workers, covering three per cent of the total population,” said Acharya adding “Vaccines to be imported under the second phase would be used for the 17 per cent population who are in high risk of COVID-19.”
Similarly, vaccines enough for a 20 per cent population would be made available in the third phase.
He added that the Nepal-India Joint Commission meeting held in India a few days earlier had played a significant role in ensuring Nepal’s access to COVID-19 vaccine.
In the meeting, Minister for External Affairs of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar had assured that the Indian government would provide vaccines to Nepal as per the necessity.