Thousands of doses of childhood vaccines have been destroyed after several health facilities, including cold chain storage units, in arson attacks during last week’s anti-corruption demonstrations across the country.

At least 13 cold chain units, including vaccine sub centers, which stored thousands of doses of childhood vaccines, were destroyed, when protesters unleashed their fury on government offices.

According to a preliminary report, at least 37 health facilities have been completely destroyed by the protesters.

“We are still accessing the damage,” said Dr Abhiyan Gautam, chief of the Immunisation Section at the Family Welfare Division under the Department of Health Services. “At least 13 cold chain units and vaccine stores have been destroyed by the fire.”

Childhood immunisation is the number one priority programme of the government, under which 13 types of vaccines are given against a range of diseases, including measles-rubella, pneumonia, tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, rotavirus, Japanese encephalitis and typhoid under the regular immunisation programme, free of cost.

The Ministry of Health and Population has also planned to include the human papillomavirus vaccine in the regular immunisation list from the ongoing fiscal year.

Officials said vaccine sub centers in Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City of Banke, Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City, and vaccine cold chain room of Morang have been destroyed in arson attacks. Likewise, cold chain stores at Birgunj Sub-metropolitan City of Parsa, Golbazar Municipality of Siraha, Shuklaphanta Municipality of Kanchanpur, Godawari Municipality of Lalitpur, Biratnagar Metropolitan City, provincial health emergency operation center of Koshi province, and Khaireni and Rapti municipalities have also been destroyed.

Health officials say that routine immunisation could be disturbed in the districts, where vaccine cold stores have been destroyed.

“We don’t even have the budget to replace those units immediately,” said Gautam.

Public health experts say destruction of the vaccine cold chain units is a serious crime, something the country had not seen even during the Maoist insurgency (1996-2006). Most of the cold chain units were set up with financial help from development partners including the United Nations Children’s Fund.

“It is very difficult to find vaccine storage refrigerators and cold chain equipment in the market,” said Dr Baburam Marasini. “Some of those equipment were brought from Japan.”

Experts say the destruction of vaccine stocks and cold chain units could pose serious risks for quality control and children may miss routine vaccines, which could ultimately lead to outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases.

“Health agencies and health workers have to make extra efforts to ensure timely vaccination for all eligible children in the affected districts,” said Dr Shyam Raj Upreti, former director general at the Department of Health Services. “They should use cold stores in nearby districts to keep vaccines safe and pay extra attention to quality assurance.”

Routine immunisation is one of the most successful programmes in Nepal, with a high coverage rate. The country has demonstrated remarkable progress in reducing the under-five mortality rate and the regular immunisation programme is credited with that.

Nepal has recently eliminated rubella, a highly contagious viral disease, as a public health problem through routine immunisation.

The World Health Organisation last month announced that it is a remarkable achievement for a country making concerted efforts to protect its people from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Doctors say immunisation is the most cost-effective, powerful and efficient way to control and eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases that cause childhood illnesses and deaths.