Govt begins administering second dose of Covid-19 vaccine to children

KATHMANDU : The government has started administering the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine to children between 5 years to 12 years of age in 27 districts from today.

The booster dose is being given to the children who were administered the first dose between June 23 and 29.

The Ministry of Health and Population said that vaccination centre has been set up at the school itself for the convenience of the children of these 27 districts. The children are being administered the Pfizer BioNTech vaccines.

Vaccination card showing the first dose vaccine has been given should be produced for the second dose vaccination, the Ministry stated. The first dose was administered to 2.1 million children.

Director at the Department of Health Services, Dr Dipendra Raman Singh said the effectiveness of the vaccine is 91 percent and it is safe, urging all children to get vaccinated.

The districts in which the second dose vaccine is being given to children include Jhapa, Ilam, Sunsari and Morang in Province no 1, Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari and Parsa in Madhes province, Makawanpur, Sindhuli, Chitwan, Kavrepalanchok, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur in Bagmati province, Kaski and Nawalparasi (East) in Gandaki province, Nawalparasi (West), Rupandehi, Dang, Banke and Bardia in Lumbini province, Surkhet in Karnali province and Kailali, Kanchanpur and Dadeldhura in Sudurpaschim province.

The vaccination programme will run till July 24. RSS