Nepal to Destroy 4 million Chinese-Made Sinovac COVID-19 Vaccines Following Denial of Booster Dose Recognition

02nd Jan 2024

In a significant development, Nepal is set to destroy four million doses of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, citing the vaccine advisory committee’s recommendation against its use as a booster dose. Dr. Abhiyaan Gautam, the head of the vaccination branch under the Ministry of Health and Population, Family Welfare Division, revealed that technical limitations prevented the vaccine from being utilized.

The Sinovac vaccine, procured from China, has been stored in the central storage of the Health Services Department for over two and a half years. Despite the looming deadline for vaccination expiry on December 23, the government has decided to destroy the vaccine due to its inability to use it as intended.

Dr. Gautam emphasized, “The vaccine advisory committee recommended that it should not be used for booster doses, but we could not administer Sinovac even as a first or second dose.”

The controversy surrounding the Sinovac vaccine in Nepal traces back to its acquisition during Sher Bahadur Deuba’s tenure as Prime Minister. Despite expert advice against its usage, the vaccine was brought in under pressure from the Chinese government.

Head of the supply management branch, Surendra Chaurasia, defended the decision to acquire four million doses, citing high demand for vaccines at the time. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) had recommended Pfizer’s vaccine over Sinovac, leading the National Vaccination Advisory Committee to decide against administering the Chinese vaccine.

Nepal received two shipments of four million Sinovac vaccines each on April 25 and 27, 2021, as a grant from the Chinese government. Nevertheless, most citizens opted for vaccines from Moderna, Covishield, and Pfizer due to concerns about Sinovac’s reliability.

Efforts to return the unused vaccines to China proved futile, with diplomatic initiatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs repeatedly rejected. Despite a year of persistent attempts, the Chinese government refused to take back the vaccines. The Nepalese government’s subsequent strategy to subsidize other countries also met with failure.

Dr. Gautam lamented, “Three or four times there was a diplomatic initiative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take back the vaccine. But tireless efforts for one year were not successful.”

As the Sinovac vaccines face imminent destruction, this incident raises questions about vaccine procurement strategies and the challenges posed by diplomatic entanglements in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the time, documents revealed that China had exerted pressure on Nepal to promptly accept the Sinovac vaccine produced by Sinopharm, warning of prolonged waiting times due to the “significant demand” for the vaccine.

Correspondence between Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy indicates that Nepal was compelled to accept the Chinese Covid-19 vaccine without establishing its efficacy and effectiveness.

During a telephone conversation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pressured then Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali to accept the vaccine immediately, with the assurance that vaccine details would be sent later. “Take it now; otherwise, Nepal will have to wait a long time to receive the vaccine.”

In a letter from the Chinese Embassy to the Nepalese government, Beijing stated that all necessary documents would be provided later, emphasizing that Kathmandu should proceed with vaccination promptly.

The letter warned that if Nepal failed to collect the vaccine promptly, it would be redistributed through other commercial orders, delaying vaccine production for Nepal significantly.

The Sinovac vaccine was found to be only 50.4 percent effective in Brazil. Phase III trials of the Sinovac vaccine, developed by Sinopharm, demonstrated only 50.4 percent effectiveness in Brazil.