KATHMANDU, July 19: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Monday visited the vaccination centers where 'Johnson & Johnson' vaccines are being administered. Prime Minister Deuba reached the Nepal Orthopedic Hospital, Jorpati; Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Maharajgunj; Bir Hospital-based COVID-19 Central Unified Hospital and the Patan Academy of Health Sciences (Patan Hospital), Lalitpur to oversee the vaccination drive. At the Central Unified Hospital, Deputy Director Dr Ashesh Dhungel briefed the Prime Minister about the campaign.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister Deuba was accompanied by US Ambassador to Nepal, Randy Berry, Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population, Laxam Aryal.

Hospital Executive Director Dr Jageshwor Gautam apprised the Prime Minister Deuba about hospital activities. Dr Gautam said that 1,000 people would be given the jab on Monday alone. 

The US government had provided 1,534,850 doses of the Johnson &Johnson vaccines to Nepal under the COVAX facility on July 12. Only one dose of this vaccine needs to be administered. Before this, the Covishield and Vero Cell vaccines were administered on priority basis.

Chief of the Child Health and Welfare Section of the Department of Health Services, Dr Jhalak Sharma Gautam said the Johnson & Johnson vaccines are being administered in Kathmandu Valley, Kavre and some districts of the Gandaki province from Monday. 

The vaccine is given to people from 50 years to 54 years of age, people who are completely handicapped, the refugees living in Nepal, health workers of health facilities and sanitation workers and those who missed their first shot before this. He said the vaccines would be supplied throughout the country soon. So far, 6 million 582 thousand 850 doses of vaccines have arrived in Nepal. Two million 999 thousand 214 people have got their first dose vaccine while one million 129 thousand 908 people have been given the second dose vaccine so far.

 
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