Yangchen C Rinzin 

With 460 nomads vaccinated against Covid-19, Lingzhi in Thimphu completed the vaccination campaign on April 1.

A total of 463 populations were eligible for the vaccination located in two different vaccination centres, Gangyul outreach clinic (ORC) and Lingzhi primary school.

Lactating mothers, on pre-medical conditions, and minors were exempt.

A chopper lifted the vaccines before the programme began.  The vaccination team comprising dzongkhag officials, a health assistant, a doctor, and yak herders walked in heavy snowfall to get to vaccination posts. 

Officials from Thimphu visited remote villages in Lingzhi gewog vaccinating more than 600 residents in the snow-covered mountains as part of the nationwide vaccination campaign that began on March 27

Highlanders walked almost a day in the snow to the Gangyul ORC to get the vaccination.  The ORC is about a two-hour walk from the gewog centre.

“Residents were cooperative and came forward and there were no challenges except for the snowfall,” a health official said. “One of the highlanders didn’t turn up for the jab despite several requests.”

Walking on a heavily snow-covered trail, another team comprising a health assistant, Thimphu dzongkhag official, nurse, and doctor walked about eight hours carrying vaccines to Zhodhu in Lingzhi, almost two days walk from Thimphu.

The team vaccinated open-air prisoners and police personnel on duty at Zhodhu who are currently renovating Lingzhi Dzong.

The team also vaccinated about four tshampas (hermits) meditating in Naro gewog, besides vaccinating around 70 nomads.

Nomads of Soe gewog walked three hours to the gewog centre for the vaccination on April 1.

Of the 106 eligible population, 89 were vaccinated at the centre and the rest were reported to have been vaccinated in Thimphu and Paro.  Three lactating mothers were not vaccinated.

“This means all eligible population of Soe are now vaccinated,” health assistant Dawa Gyeltshen said.

Bad weather hampered the team’s return journey by chopper, so they walked back to Thimphu yesterday.

Of the 14,193 eligible population in eight gewogs in Thimphu, about 14,134 people were vaccinated since March 27.  

  A nomad shares her details before receiving the vaccine