Kathmandu- Nearly 50 per cent of the population in Kathmandu Valley has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the Ministry of Health and Population said.
The Ministry said about 50 per cent of the target population in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur has been administered the full dose jabs.
Chief of Child Health and Vaccination Section, Family Welfare Division at the Department of Health Services, Sagar Dahal said 50 per cent of the population in the Valley has received the first dose vaccine while 48 per cent has received the full two doses.
One million 622 thousand 441 people have been given the first dose and one million 562 thousand 734 people have received the full dose vaccine. Of the population of three million 247 thousand 558 in the Kathmandu Valley, the target is to immunize a population of two million 129 thousand 773 above 18 years of age.
Officer at the Immunization Section of the Ministry, Bharat Bhandari shared that 51.5 per cent of the target population have got the first dose jabs while 48.7 per cent of the target population has the full dose in Kathmandu district. The target population in the Kathmandu district is one million 500 thousand 62.
Similarly, 49.7 per cent of the target population has been given the first dose vaccine while 45.4 per cent of the target population has got the full dose in the Lalitpur district. The target population in Lalitpur is 382 thousand 860 and it is 246 thousand 851 in Bhaktapur district.
This indicates that at least 50 per cent of the target population in the Valley will be inoculated latest by the Dashain festival.
Kathmandu Valley is a place having more population and it is a mixed settlement of people from all over the country. Vaccinating the 50 per cent population of the Kathmandu Valley against COVID-19 should be taken as an achievement.
The highest number of people has been vaccinated in Bagmati province after Kathmandu Valley. A total of 38.2 per cent population has got first dose of vaccine and 35.3 per cent already received a full dose of vaccine in this province.
Bhandari shared that a directive has already been issued to District Health Office to vaccinate people above 35 years in Kathmandu Valley. The government has set a target to vaccinate 33 per cent population of the nation against COVID-19 by October 17, 2021. The government has made preparation to vaccinate two-third population within mid-January 2022 and all eligible citizens by mid-April 2022.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has been saying that he has put the vaccination programme on the top priority. District Public Health Office, Kathmandu, has been providing vaccination service against coronavirus from 145 vaccination centres of Kathmandu district. All citizens above 40 years and students above 18 years, who missed out to get vaccine, are being vaccinated in Kathmandu Valley.
The number of active coronavirus cases has been found to decrease by more than 50 per cent. Earlier on August 19, the number of active coronavirus cases was 40,500, but it was 18,422 on Tuesday, Sept 28.
17 million 800 thousand doses vaccines arrive so far
Meanwhile, 17 million 858 thousand 710 doses of vaccines have arrived in Nepal so far. This comprises two million 448 thousand doses of Covishield vaccine, one million 975 thousand 860 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, one million 534 thousand 850 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines and 11 million 900 thousand doses of the VeroCell vaccine. RSS