December 6, 2022
2 mins read

Nepal may never use China’s 4 million Covid vaccine doses

China supplied four million doses of Sinovac-CoronaVac jabs in March under grant assistance. The government sent planes specifically to bring the vaccines from China…reports Asian Lite News

Four million doses of Chinese-based Sinovac company’s Sinovac-CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine may not be rolled out ever.

Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population officials said that they have proposed to roll out the vaccine at a meeting of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, four times but no decision was taken in this regard, The Kathmandu Post reported. As the uptake of booster shots in Nepal is dismal, the fate of the Sinovac-CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine is also at risk.

China supplied four million doses of Sinovac-CoronaVac jabs in March under grant assistance. The government sent planes specifically to bring the vaccines from China.

The doses have a shelf life of two years, so the health authorities decided to use another vaccine with a shorter life, according to The Kathmandu Post.

The Kathmandu Post reported that the public health experts advised the authorities that it would be unwise to keep the vaccine doses manufactured months ago in stock for long, as Covid variants are mutating fast and the pharmaceutical companies have been working to redesign their vaccines.

China’s covid 19 vaccines

“We have requested the local governments to see if the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine could be used as primary doses,” said Dr Bibek Kumar Lal, director of the Family Welfare Division. “But representatives from most local units say they do not have people who have not taken any vaccine dose.”

Health Ministry officials claimed the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine has not got recommendations from credible organisations for use as a booster, reported The Kathmandu Post.

However, earlier, the World Health Organizations’ Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) issued updated interim policy recommendations for the use of the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine against COVID-19. The updated policy reads, “The vaccine is safe and effective for all individuals aged 18 and above. In line with the WHO Prioritization Roadmap and the WHO Values Framework, older adults, health workers and immunocompromised persons should be prioritised.”

“The Sinovac vaccine can be offered to people who have had COVID-19 in the past. But individuals may choose to delay vaccination for 3 months following the infection,’ it added.

China has donated 3.8 million doses of Vero Cell to Nepal so far, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The Vero Cell vaccine is credited with saving lives in Nepal at the time of the Delta variant, which brought a second wave of the pandemic in the country.

Officials at the Health Ministry concede that all four million doses of the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine may have to be discarded as the chances of its use are slim. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Ruling Nepali Congress emerges as largest party

Previous Story

‘Ladies Tailor’ : Representing the refugee spirit

Next Story

Doval to meet Central Asian counterparts in Delhi

Latest from -Top News

IAEA sounds nuclear alarm in Iran

UN nuclear watchdog urges restraint, calls for diplomacy to prevent crisis. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has issued a stark warning about the potential nuclear fallout

Trump says it’s hard to tell Israel to stop

President downplays European diplomacy as Israeli jets strike over 35 Iranian missile sites US President Donald Trump has said it would be “difficult” to ask Israel to stop its ongoing airstrikes on

Modi calls Yoga a journey from ‘me’ to ‘we’

PM Modi showered praise on the Andhra Pradesh government for hosting this year’s national celebrations, commending Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan for their leadership. Prime Minister

UK unites for Yoga Day

Celebrations held across iconic landmarks and campuses under theme ‘One Earth, One Health’ The Indian diaspora and local communities across the United Kingdom gathered in large numbers on Friday to mark the

Kenya’s Odinga Slams Adani Deal U-Turn

Before the cancellation of the deal, Odinga was among the leaders who defended the Adani Group….reports Asian Lite News Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Friday expressed disappointment over the cancellation
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Nepal feels hopeful as Deuba takes office

Nepal under the Prime Minister-ship of K.P. Sharma Oli had

Uproar in Nepal against US grant

Protesters were also targeted with water cannon in an attempt