Kathmandu, Sep. 17: 4.4 million doses of the Vero Cell vaccine have arrived in Nepal via Nepal Airlines from China at 1.30 PM on Friday.

Of the 6 million vaccines, bought by Nepal from China, it is the second installment received by Nepal. Earlier, 1. 6 million doses of Vero Cell was received by Nepal on August 19 as the first installment.

According to Bade Babu Thapa, senior pharmacist officer at the Department of Health Services (DoHS), the Vero Cell vaccine used to be in two doses per vial on the previous lot.

“Due to which 800,000 vials were brought in one flight. But now China is producing five doses of the vaccine per vial. Due to which 4.4 million doses of vaccine can be brought at one time” He added.

The Vero Cell vaccine was initially given one vial one dose, then one vial two doses, and now one vial five doses. 

Earlier, 2,448,000 thousand Covishield, 7.4 million doses of Vero Cell, 1.6 million doses of Johnson & Johnson, and 1,777,320 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine have been received by Nepal.

It is said that a total of 100,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine will be delivered through GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) in October and 6 million doses of Pfizer and 4 million doses of Moderna will be given by the end of this year. Pfizer will arrive by December, while Moderna will arrive shortly.