Kathmandu: The government is going to procure 6 million vaccines targeting around 5 million people in the age group of 12 to 18 years. An agreement has also been reached to buy the vaccine produced by Pfizer and Biotech Company of America.
Vaccination is expected to take 6 to 9 months. Despite the government's request to provide the vaccine by December, the company has stated that it can provide the vaccine as late as April 2022. A loan agreement is being prepared with the World Bank for the necessary funds to purchase the vaccine from Pfizer Company. Its authority has been given to the Director-General of the Department of Health Services. The Ministry of Health has stated that the Ministry of Finance has also agreed to the purchase agreement.
Minister of State for Health Umesh Shrestha has decided to empower the Director-General to sign an agreement with the World Bank. The department had also written to other companies to purchase the vaccine, but the process moved forward after Pfizer was positive.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Pfizer and Modern vaccines for the 12- to 18-year-old age group. A virtual meeting was also held between the officials of the company and the officials of the Ministry of Health on the issues including purchase, transportation, storage, and distribution of vaccines. Discussions on purchasing 5 million doses of modern vaccine have also reached the final stage, said a source.
In the Monday meeting of the Education and Health Committee of the Parliament, the Chief of the Policy and Planning Division of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Gunaraj Lohani has informed that 32.3 million doses of vaccine will be received from various companies from next September to April. He said that 11 million doses of Covax facility will be provided free of cost. According to him, 15 million doses including Covisheild, Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen, and Verosel will be received from Covax.
Similarly, Lohani said that 7 million doses purchased by the government have been received by September. "The Covisheild, which has already been paid to the Serum Institute, will arrive in the second week of August and the vaccine, which will be procured and subsidized from China, will arrive by mid-August," he said. Of the 4 million vaccines purchased from China, 3.2 million doses have already arrived. The Chinese government has already announced an additional 1.6 million doses of subsidy.
The budget required for the purchase of vaccines is being managed from concessional loans from the World Bank and ADB. The government has adopted a policy of paying for the purchase of vaccines through two models. By depositing the loan taken from the donor in the government coffers, the government will pay the vaccination company or make the donor pay the amount directly. "We plan to adopt whichever of these two policies is easier for the government," said Health Secretary Aryal.
Health Secretary Aryal said that the construction of a facility to store vaccines up to minus 80 degrees in the province has reached the final stage after the arrival of the Pfizer vaccine. "We have instructed to prepare the store by the second week of August," he said. "The Department of Urban Development and Building Construction has already handed over the structure." Now it is time to prepare the cold room. It may even be ready before the vaccine arrives. '
According to Pfizer, the vaccine requires a temperature of minus 60 to 80 degrees Celsius for long-term storage. For immediate use, it can be stored at 2 to 8 C for 35 days. Covisilde and Verosel are kept at 2 to 8 degrees.
