Elderlies in Nepal get the chance for the second dose of the anti-Covid vaccine for which they had been waiting for months.
Elderlies in Nepal get the chance for the second dose of the anti-Covid vaccine for which they had been waiting for months.
KATHMANDU, Nepal — The wait for the vaccine for the elderlies in Nepal is finally over; they can now get the second dose of the anti-Covid vaccine after waiting for more than four months.
Baburam Nagarkoti, aged 80, struggled to reach the nearby vaccination center because of poor infrastructure. He was also suffering from paralysis and prolonged asthma illness. But, it all got vanished for him after he got his second dose of the anti-Covid vaccine.
“I am happy; today, I got my second dose,” he said. It has brought happiness and cheer; I went up to the vaccination center and was administered the jab. Now I feel that I would be protected from coronavirus due to this vaccine and live a longer life.”
“I feel relaxed now; there’s no problem after receiving it. I went along with my wife and received the vaccine. Daughter, grandson, spouse, and son took me there, and I was happy while undergoing the process of vaccination.”
The Nagarkoti couples had received their first dose of the anti-Covid-19 vaccine earlier in March 2021 when the Himalayan Nation started its inoculation campaign after receiving jabs from India in the donation.
Earlier on Aug. 6, Bhutan delivered its extra 230,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine under a reciprocity condition at the request of the Nepal government.
Japan also shipped 1.6 million doses of AstraZeneca to Nepal through COVAX, an international vaccine sharing scheme under United Nations. Nepal so far has received 10,526,270 doses of vaccine from various sources.
But the ground reality and struggle of people to take the jabs have remained the same. Elderlies had to queue outside and inside vaccination centers around the capital for hours due to various logistical and managerial failures.
Braving the scorching sun, elderlies with existing health problems queued outside the inoculation centers to take the jabs supposed to save their lives. Still, exposure to crowds has increased the fear of transmission to the most vulnerable groups.
“I came here at 9 AM, stood in line, and they said to give a token to all, but later it got mixed up. Management of the queues and other aspects is worst here,” said Bhola Pokhrel, one of the elderly who was waiting till mid-day to take the second dose.
“It could have been managed systematically. Providing the vaccine based on the flow of people would not have created this kind of situation. One person arrives, followed by others, and a crowd is created. It is not known who is eligible to take the vaccine and who is not. Elderlies have come here to take the vaccine who have received the first dose about six months before. Lack of management has continued till now. Rather than controlling the Covid-19, it further is fueling the Covid-19 and helping to spread it.”
Tension at various inoculation centers rises further after the allotted vaccine finishes off and the wait for it continues, which might result in officials sending off the people back home to come the next day.
Most of the inoculation centers outside the ring-road of capital Kathmandu that visited on Aug. 9 had vaccines capped to 200 doses. Meanwhile, the number of people standing in queue for jabs stood double the number of allotted vaccines, creating chaos in those centers.
Local officials who have been overseeing the campaign claim that people’s mentality to get the vaccine early and first amongst others has become the main problem behind the managerial failure.
“We are inoculating people with the vaccine which Japan and Bhutan have donated as the second dose of the previously administered vaccine. It is meant for population over the age of 60, teachers, and medical officers,” said Mahesh Rimal, one of the local representatives. They looked after the inoculation drive in local bodies.
“Vaccines for our center arrived only after 10 AM, and we only have one location and personnel to inoculate people. Everyone is anxious, and they are in a hurry to get the vaccine first and early, which has resulted in the situation as if there is a lack of management. Still, it’s not true, it all is going in the system, and it is evident everywhere. It would go as per the system.”
Nepal started its vaccination drive in January with the 1 million doses of Covishield gifted by the Indian government. India had provided 100,000 amounts of Covishield under a grant for the Nepal Army as well.
Nepal so far has used Covishield, Vero Cell, and Janssen, developed and manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, to inoculate its population against Covid-19.
Of the 5.8 million doses of Vero Cell, 4 million doses were bought from China, while the Chinese government provided 1.8 million doses under grant assistance.
On Jul. 12, the United States provided 1,534,850 doses of Janssen through the COVAX facility. The government has unveiled a plan to procure 42 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine by February next year and inoculate all eligible citizens above 12 years of age before mid-April.
About 8.4 percent of Nepal’s population have been inoculated with the first dose of the vaccine. In contrast, 15.145 percent have received a total dosage of anti-Covid-19 vaccine till Aug. 9, as per the Ministry of Health and Population data.
(With inputs from ANI)
Edited by Saptak Datta and Ritaban Misra
