Bhutan’s population touches 8,00,000 people to be precise. The tiny Himalayan kingdom sandwiched between India and China has a unique story to tell to the rest of the world.
The story of Bhutan’s vaccination campaign is nearly finished–just 16 days after it began.
It took less than two weeks for the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan to vaccinate almost all of its eligible population.
Having said that, a small country like Bhutan sets a stellar example and is certainly on a war-footing to battle it out with the virus, owing to it’s remarkable leadership and joint collaborative spirit.
The country has vaccinated nearly 93 percent of its adult population since March 27. Overall, the country has vaccinated 62 percent of its 800,000 people.
The country’s vaccination campaign kicked off on March 27. By April 8, according to the Ministry of Health, 93% of eligible adults had gotten their first dose. Officials said 472,139 people between ages 18 and 104 had been vaccinated as of that date, and they urged other eligible individuals to follow suit.
Health officials said second doses will be administered after eight to 12 weeks. The country received 550,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, known locally as Covishield, in two batches in January and March from India.
All in all Bhutan’s efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic have been right from the beginning, thanks to leadership, front-line workers and what the paper describes as a cooperative public.
While noting the reason to celebrate before people have had their second doses, the country’s size has certainly contributed to the vaccine’s successful rollout — and that this has implications for tackling other issues related to the economy, unemployment and technology.
The country has recorded 921 cases and one death from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Health officials said there will be no changes to public health restrictions until at least two weeks after the country completes a rollout of second-dose vaccinations, in two to three months.