Nepal to get 4 Mn Moderna vaccine doses through COVAX

Nepal is the second country globally to have completed agreements with GAVI to procure 4 million doses of Moderna vaccines, financed by the World Bank, through the COVAX cost-share option. This will diversify and strengthen the country’s COVID-19 vaccine portfolio. Delivery of these vaccines is expected to start by March 2022 and will contribute to Nepal’s goal to vaccinate at least 72 per cent of its population, as well as children 12-17 years of age for whom the Moderna vaccine is deemed safe and effective. The World Bank has made available $104 million to support the Government of Nepal’s health response to the pandemic, with $67.5 million earmarked to purchase and deploy COVID-19 vaccines. Recently, 1,000 oxygen concentrators were brought in through the project while seven oxygen generation plants are being established, one in each province. These will help strengthen health preparedness in the event of future waves of the pandemic.