AP Interview: Official says Nepal desperately needs vaccines

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s health minister says the country has significantly reduced coronavirus infections after its worst outbreak but is in desperate need of vaccines. Health Minister Sher Bahadur Tamang said in an interview with The Associated Press that “The main issue for us is vaccines, and unless we get vaccines we cannot say everyone is safe.” Nepal has been under lockdown since April after new cases and deaths spiked following a massive outbreak in neighboring India. Nepal launched a vaccination campaign in January but was forced to suspend it after India halted exports of domestically produced vaccines because of its own outbreak.