KATHMANDU, Sept 28: The Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) handed over 100,000 doses of the Vero Cell vaccine to the Ministry of Health and Population on Tuesday.
The office-bearers of the NRCS provided the essential vaccines against COVID-19 to Minister of State for Health and Population, Umesh Shrestha at his office in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu.
State Minister Shrestha extended his sincere thanks to the NRCS for being a part of the national vaccination campaign and contributing with the vaccine against the coronavirus infection.
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Extending his gratitude to the humanitarian agency for its continuous support in its COVID-19 control efforts, Shrestha urged the NRCS to support the government's aim to vaccinate all eligible citizens against COVID-19 by April, 2022.
On the occasion, General-Secretary of NRCS, Pitambar Aryal and Executive Director Umesh Dhakal said that those vaccines were given by the Red Cross Society of China to NRCS free of cost.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has been lobbying with vaccine producing countries such as the USA, China and the UK for vaccines under the COVAX facility, they said.
The 100,000 doses of the Vero Cell vaccine will be prioritized for the frontline health workers, said General-Secretary Aryal.
NRCS has been providing essential medical supplies to the public health facilities for COVID-19 response such as oxygen concentrators, ventilators, thermal guns, PPEs, sanitizers, gloves and surgical masks among others.
According to the health ministry, 30 percent of the total population (6,609,233) has received the first dose of vaccines against COVID-19 while 28 percent (6,036,401) have been fully vaccinated.
Similarly, all eligible people in Rukum (East), Manang and Mustang districts have already been fully vaccinated, according to the ministry.
