The China-gifted coronavirus vaccines have arrived in Kathmandu.
The vaccine is developed by Sinopharm, an affiliate of state-backed pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm.
Chinese Ambassador Hou Yanqi handed over the vaccines to Health Minister Hridayesh Tripathi at Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday 29 March 2021 morning.
The government, however, is yet to decide who to administer the Chinese vaccines.
According to Dr Jhalak Gautam , chief of National Immunisation Programme, the Health Ministry has not decided yet who all will get the vaccines provided by China.
“We will hold a meeting of our experts’ panel and take a decision,” Gautam told the Post. “We most likely will select people serving in the organised sectors like teachers, employees and others.”
Nepal’s drug regulatory body granted emergency use approval to the Chinese vaccine in February.
Like the AstraZeneca shots, which Nepal has been using to inoculate its population, Sinopharm jabs are also two-dose vaccines.
