Kathmandu, October 25. The US Government has handed the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine to the Nepal Government.

Sepideh Keyvanshad, the Mission Director for USAID/Nepal, handed the shipment of vaccines given to Nepal on grant to Health Secretary Dr Roshan Pokhrel today amidst a programme at the Ministry of Health and Population.

The Health Secretary expressed his hope that the vaccine assistance would help to fight COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to him, the vaccines will be given to people above 12 and those with chronic health issues.

The USAID mission director expressed happiness over getting an opportunity to join hands with Nepal in the fight against the pandemic. As she said, it would be easier for Nepal to get additional doses of Pfizer vaccine in the days to come as well.

The assistance includes 100,620 doses of vaccines provided to Nepal under the COVAX facility. 

Ministry Spokesperson Dr Krishna Prasad Poudel said the vaccines will be given to people above 12, and the patients of chronic diseases like heart and kidney diseases and asthma. The vaccination will start from 23 hospitals in the country after the Chhath festival. 

Till then, the vaccines will be stored in the Teku-based cold room of the Department of Health Services.  

More, the government is preparing to bring additional 6 million doses of Pfizer and four million doses of Moderna vaccines from the US.