Nepal has initiated its first round of nationwide vaccinations by inoculating frontline workers with the Covishield vaccine.

Footage from January 27 shows healthcare workers in a Kathmandu vaccine centre preparing and practising administering the jab.

Twelve thousand doctors and healthcare workers across the country were first in line to get the jab, followed by around 400,000 other frontline workers including community health volunteers, security personnel, sanitation workers, elderly people living in care homes, and prisoners.

Over 600 health workers have been trained to run the immunization campaign.

Booths with the capacity to immunise 200 people have been set up at the inoculation centres.

Last week the country received 1 million doses from India, but are yet to purchase their own vaccine.

Nepal has officially opened the nationwide Vivid-19 vaccination drive on Wednesday, by vaccinating around 12,000 doctors and health workers across the country. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Health Minister Hridayesh Tripathi inaugurated the campaign in a televised event in Kathmandu.Dr. Sagar Rajbhandari, director of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku was the first of the frontline workers to receive the jab.

In the first phase, only frontline workers would get the vaccines. They need to receive the second dose of the vaccine after 28 days. Around 430,000 frontline workers–health workers, supporting staffers at health facilities, female community health volunteers, security personnel, sanitation workers, elderly people living in care homes, and prisoners–will be inoculated in 65 districts across the country. Over 600 health workers have been trained to run the immunization campaign. Booths with the capacity to immunize 200 people have been set up at the inoculation centers.

Earlier last week, the government had received one million doses of COVISHIELD vaccines as a grant from India under the Indian government’s #VaccineMaitri programme. Nepal has not bought any vaccine yet, but officials claim preparations are underway.