Chinese ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi handed over 800,000 doses of Vero Cell vaccine under the China aid COVID-19 vaccine to Minister of Helath and Population Hridayesh Tripathy amid a function today at Tribhuwan International Airport.

The vaccines have arrived from Beijing Capital International Airport toda. Earlier, the spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population Dr Jageshwor Gautam informed that the vaccine arrived

The government has approved the 'Vero Cell' vaccine manufactured by Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd (BIBP), China, under Sinopharm, for emergency use against Covid-19 in Nepal.

The Department of Drug Administration (DDA), under the Ministry of Health and Population, took a decision on the usage of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, Inactivated, on Wednesday. Each 0.5 ml vaccine solution for injection contains 6.5 U of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 antigen. The route of vaccine administration is intramuscular.Earlier last month, first phase of Covid-19 vaccination drive began in Nepal, following the arrival of vaccines from India, through Indian government's Vaccine Maitri programme. India had sent 1 million doses of Covishield vaccine to Nepal, in grant. Covishield is the local name for the India-manufactured Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine developed in the UK.