Nepal to receive single-dose Janssen COVID vaccine

The government has decided to bring the single-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine which is manufactured by American pharmaceuticals giant Johnson & Johnson. The Ministry of Health and Population has informed that the vaccines will be brought under the COVAX facility initiated by the United Nations.

According to Dr Taranath Pokhrel, Director of the Family Welfare Division under the Health Ministry, the country will bring the Janssen Ad26.CoV2.S vaccine, which is a single-dose vaccine. Till date, the vaccines that have been brought from India and China are double-dose vaccines, he informed.

The Janssen vaccines that Nepal will be receiving on aid from the UN can be administered to all people above 18 years old. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had also given permission for emergency use of Janssen vaccine in February.

However, the number of doses that Nepal will be receiving has not been confirmed yet which will be determined within week. The number of vaccines that Nepal received under the UN’s COVAX facility will be enough to vaccinate 20 per cent of the population of the country.

As per the WHO, the Janssen Ad26.CoV2.S was found to have an efficacy of 85.4 per cent against severe disease and 93.1 per cent against hospitalisation 28 days after inoculation.