KATHMANDU: The government of Nepal has approved a vaccine against Covid-19 developed by the Chinese company Sinovac Life Sciences.
Only last Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) had approved Sinovac vaccine for emergency use.
A meeting of the Department of Drug Management on Friday has approved the vaccine for emergency use for people aged 18 years and above. The vaccine can be kept at a temperature of 2 to 8 degree celcius for 12 months.
The government has previously allowed emergency use of Covishiled, a product of the Serum Institute of India, a Chinese company, Sinopharm’s Verosel and a Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, and an Indian vaccine, Covaxcin.
The Ministry of Health has written to the Ministry of External Affairs not to send request letters for any other medical aid except vaccines, oxygen concentration, pediatric ventilators, ICU beds, monitors, PCR test kits.
Meanwhile, Sinovac’s Nepal representative Biometics Pvt has informed that they will apply for the permission to import 1 million doses of Sinovac vaccine.
BK Bhandari, director of Biometics, has sought import permission from the Department by fixing the consumer price of the vaccine at Rs 2,100 per dose. The price includes all expenses.
