Nepal, home to 28 million people, has recorded 277,944 coronavirus infections and 3032 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.<\/p>\n
Nepal will start its second phase of the Covid-19 inoculation drive from April 7 using a China-donated vaccine to fight against the deadly infection, according to the health ministry.<\/p>\n
The first phase of the vaccination drive began in January with the one million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine provided by India under grant assistance in sync with its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.<\/p>\n
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The second phase will begin from Wednesday, April 7. The 800,000 doses of the China manufactured vaccine – Vero Cell- against COVID-19 infection will be administered to the frontline workers as well as those involved in trans-Himalayan trade activities in the mountainous region, Dr Jageshwor Gautam, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, said.<\/p>\n
Nepali students studying in China under scholarship schemes and those preparing to visit China for further studies will also receive the Chinese vaccine, Gautam said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs many as 500,000 of the total 900,000 people targeted for vaccination have already received Covid-19 vaccines. These 800,000 doses of China-donated vaccines will be administered to the remaining 400,000 people of the targeted group,\u201d he added.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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Chinese ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi, had handed over Covid-19 vaccines to the Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi amidst a special function organised in Kathmandu on March 29.<\/p>\n
Nepal had granted a conditional emergency approval for use of Vero Cell, the coronavirus vaccine manufactured by China’s Beijing Institute of Biological Products earlier on February 18.<\/p>\n
Nepal, home to 28 million people, has recorded 277,944 coronavirus infections and 3032 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.<\/p>\n