Press Release on Japan’s Grant Assistance of COVID-19 vaccines

Press Release

The first batch of about 1.6 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID vaccines provided by the Government of Japan to Nepal through COVAX facility arrived in Kathmandu this morning. His Excellency Mr. KIKUTA Yutaka, Ambassador of Japan to Nepal, handed over the vaccines to Hon. Mr. Umesh Shrestha, Minister of State for Health and Population, amidst a brief ceremony held at Tribhuvan International Airport.

The second batch of the vaccines will arrive in Kathmandu tomorrow evening. The remaining half of the total vaccines will be brought to Nepal soon.

The Government of Nepal sincerely appreciates the Government of Japan for this generous provision of life-saving vaccine to Nepal through COVAX.

These Japanese-made AstraZeneca COVID vaccines will be administered to the senior citizens who are waiting for second shots of vaccines of this group.

The officials of Ministry of Health and Population, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a representative of UNICEF were also present during the handover ceremony.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Singh Durbar, Kathmandu
07 August 2021