KATHMANDU, July 19: The government is set to launch the Johnson and Johnson vaccination campaign in all districts including the Kathmandu Valley from today.

On the first and second day of the vaccination campaign, people belonging to 53 to 54 years of age, people with disability i.e. category A and B of disability, refugees currently living in Nepal, sanitation and health workers will be vaccinated.

In addition to this, the people of the specified groups who did not get vaccinated earlier will also be vaccinated. Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts have already identified vaccination centers for the vaccination campaign. Dr Krishna Kumar Poudel, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Population, said that the vaccination campaign will start from Monday in most districts except some remote places where vaccines are yet to reach.

On the first day of the vaccination campaign, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry are scheduled to pay a field visit to the vaccination center, said Poudel. Only one dose of Johnson & Johnson's Jackson vaccine will be enough.

Last week, 1.634 million doses of vaccine arrived in Nepal from the United States. The health ministry has stated that the vaccine has reached all the districts. An additional 3 million doses of Vero Cell vaccine are expected to arrive from China this month. The vaccine is being procured by Nepal from China. In a few days, Nepal will also receive 1.6 million AstraZeneca vaccines from Japan, and the ministry is preparing to administer the first dose of Covishield and vaccinate those who are yet to get the second dose.

 
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