Almost 29,000 frontline workers receive shot of Covishield on the second day of nationwide vaccination drive

Published On: January 28, 2021 07:51 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, Jan 28: Altogether 28,732 frontline workers have received a shot of ‘Covishield’ across 77 districts in the country on the second day of the mass vaccination program against COVID-19 that was launched by the government on Wednesday.

According to Dr Jageshwar Gautam, who is the spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population, those receiving vaccines against COVID-19 include 3,847 in Province 1 districts, 2,174 in Province 2, and 11,461 in Bagmati Province. Similarly, a total of 4,853 frontline workers in Gandaki Province, 2,303 in Lumbini Province, 1,677 in Karnali Province, and 2,417 in Sudur Pashchim Province received the vaccine against COVID-19 on Thursday.

The government is inoculating at least 450,000 frontline workers fighting against COVID-19 in the first phase of the vaccination drive. Health Ministry Spokesperson Gautam said none of the persons receiving the vaccines have shown any signs of health complications.

The vaccination drive against COVID-19 across Nepal started Wednesday morning following an inauguration by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. The vaccination drive was launched after India provided 1 million doses of Covishield--AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine manufactured under license by Serum Institute of India.

A total of 9,084 frontline workers across seven provinces got a shot of the vaccine on the first day of the vaccination drive on Wednesday. The number of frontline workers receiving a shot of Covishield on the first day included 1,255 in Province 1, 726 in Province 2, 2,694 in Bagmati Province, and 1,843 persons in Gandaki Province. Similarly, 733 frontline workers in Lumbini Province, 751 in Karnali Province, and 1,082 others in Sudur Pashchim Province received the shot of Covishield vaccine on Wednesday.

As per the policy of the government to put the frontline workers in priority in the first phase of the vaccination drive, the 'Covishield' vaccine is being administered to health workers, sanitation workers, ambulance drivers, security personnel and volunteers serving at vaccination centers, people mobilized to manage dead bodies, women health volunteers, health workers and other government employees serving at the border check posts, people living in elderly homes and inmates and security personnel serving in various jails across the country.