Nepal expects pandemic to falter as approves vaccine

Kathmandu [Nepal], January 15 (ANI): After Nepal government approved emergency use of Covishield vaccine, people are hoping the pandemic will falter and human lives would be back on track.

Nepal's Department of Drug Administration on Friday issued a release giving information on approving Covishield developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, which will be manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) in India.

Drug regulating authority has also specified Serum Institute of India for importers provided with low cost in purchasing and delivery of vaccine to public.

Reacting over news about government's approval to Covishield vaccine to be used in case of emergency, Rojan Shrestha, a resident of Kathmandu who contracted the virus last year said, "Nepal has approved very first vaccine for emergency use. It is a matter of joy, as I was infected with the virus and had to isolate myself for long time which was nearly a month."Rojan further said, "There was a rise in mortality rate due to the virus in Nepal. I lost my grandfather to the virus just a month before. The condition would have been different if the development had taken place at that time. It not only is an issue concerning me. There are a lot of people who got infected and lost their dear ones but now the vaccine has been approved to be used in Nepal which would save lives, which indeed gives utter happiness."Approving the vaccine for conditional purpose, the department has also asked manufacturers or importers to get approval for registration in order to bring the vaccines.

"Coronavirus caused extensive damage to commoners like us. If there is news about the approval of vaccine against it then it obviously would cheer us. Along with the arrival of vaccine, we pray for this pandemic to end soon, as people still are scared to go out into public fearing to get infected. Such a situation of fear would end after that," Ram Chandra, a daily wage worker working at Kathmandu told ANI.

Nepal imposed nationwide and partial lockdown for most of 2020 with rise in imported cases which later took the form of local transmission spreading mostly in urban areas and major cities.

The nationwide lockdown which started in March 2020 hampered daily life of people as well as businesses. They now expect to thrive with the approval of vaccine.

"At that time of lockdown we had to close our business and rely on our earlier savings for around 8 months. If it was invented and brought earlier then people wouldn't have feared so much, we reeled through such difficult times and now with the availability of vaccine it would ease situation for most of the people," Ram SharanTimalsina, a small business owner said.

Though the detailed inoculation plan of Nepal Government is yet to be disclosed, a total of 3 companies applied for approval to take steps forward with Serum Institute for import of vaccines.

India has already made conditional emergency approval for Covishield manufactured by the Serum Institute. Being one of the largest producers of vaccines at low cost, India has promised to provide vaccine to its neighbours in near future. (ANI)