COVAX pledges 600k doses of one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to Nepal

Setopati

Kathmandu, June 22

The global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX has expressed commitment to provide 600,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine to Nepal.

Coordinator of the vaccine advisory committee under the Health Ministry Dr Shyam Raj Uprety told Setopati that COVAX informed just two days back that it will provide 600,000 doses of the US-made single-dose jab also known as Janssen vaccine.

Johnson & Johnson is the only single-dose COVID vaccine currently approved for use anywhere in the world. The vaccine has yet to get authorization in Nepal but Dr Uprety pointed that it is already endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and added that it will be granted emergency use authorization by the time the vaccines arrive.

He added that Nepal will also receive 348,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines through COVAX by July end.

Over 1.30 million Nepalis over 65 years are awaiting second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine having received the first dose over three months back.

Published Date: 2021-06-22 17:19:00

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