The Health Department of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has launched a vaccination drive against Covid in the metropolitan area.

The drive is targeted at those who missed the first or second doses of the booster shots.

“Anyone above 12 years of age who has not received the first or second dose of booster shots can get inoculated at their nearby vaccination centre,” said Sajina Maharjan, an official at the health department of the metropolis. “Also, those who have not received any Covid vaccine can receive one.”

Earlier the metropolis had launched an immunisation drive targeting elderly people residing at old age homes, differently-abled people, and those having compromised immunity or suffering from chronic diseases.

“At present, we have been launching the immunisation drive in nine wards of the metropolis— wards 11,17,31,14,6,12,19, 32 and 15,” said Maharjan. “The vaccination programme will be launched in other wards as well once interested people of the said wards get immunised.”

Currently, Nepal has been using Pfizer BioNTech’s bivalent Covid vaccine.

Pfizer-BioNTech is the only bivalent jab that has got an emergency use authorisation from the drug advisory committee in Nepal.

The bivalent Covid vaccine includes a component of the original virus strain as well as a part of the Omicron variant to provide broad protection against Covid.

The vaccine is called a bivalent Covid shot as it contains two components—the original virus strain and Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants. Doctors say a bivalent Covid vaccine may also be referred to as an “updated” booster dose.

Despite having sufficient doses of the vaccine in stock, uptake of Covid vaccine is low.

Sagar Ghimire, chief of the Health Office Kathmandu, said that anyone interested can get inoculated with the Covid vaccine from the nearby immunisation centre.

“Even if the infection rate of the coronavirus is very low at present, those having comorbidities, elderly people, and those with weak immunity should take the coronavirus vaccine,” said Ghimire.

Experts, however, say it is not necessary to force people to get Covid vaccine, as most people in Nepal have already developed immunity against the virus.

“Coronavirus will remain in our communities as Covid-flu, just like any other flu,” said Dr Rajiv Shrestha, an infectious disease expert at the Dhulikhel Hospital. “As a health worker, I advise elderly people, the immunocompromised and those with underlying conditions to take the coronavirus vaccine on a regular basis.”

As many as 12,031 Covid-related deaths have been reported in Nepal, according to the official count.