World hails Bhutan’s COVID-19 vaccination story

Compiled by Tandin Wangchuk

In a world which is suppressed by the coronavirus pandemic, Bhutan’s covid-19 vaccination story has become a beacon of hope for many countries across the world.

Global Voices wrote that the Kingdom of Bhutan, the tiny South Asian country in the Eastern Himalayas, has pulled off a rare feat: as of the end of July 2021, it had managed to administer two doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 90% of its adult population.

It states that compared with other countries in South Asia—such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh—which are struggling to source vaccines and inoculate their massive populations, Bhutan has the advantage of a small population of only 780,910. The country has also managed the COVID-19 pandemic well compared to its neighbours and even helped Nepal by sending them 230,000 vaccines from its excess stock.

“Bhutan’s sound management of the pandemic despite limited resources is already being applauded as a “success story” and a “beacon of hope” for other countries in the region,” Rezwan the Global Voices correspondent writes.

He adds that Bhutan’s first case of COVID-19 was reported on March 6, 2020, when a US tourist tested positive. The country immediately put in place strict measures, including tracing 300 possible contacts of the tourist and quarantining them. The country banned tourists, closed schools and public institutions, postponed international conferences and took additional measures to prevent local transmission in high-risk areas.

The democratic government engaged in campaigns asking citizens to wear face masks, wash their hands, and practice physical distancing. Even the much-revered King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck trekked by foot and on horseback to remote locations to oversee various mitigation measures.

He further states that Bhutan had only around 350 doctors and 3,000 health workers when the pandemic started, and so far it has engaged around 30,000 citizen volunteers to help with different COVID-19 prevention measures.

“A US$19 million relief fund provided some respite for more than 34,000 Bhutanese whose livelihoods were affected by the pandemic restrictions, and a country-wide registry for vulnerable citizens facilitated the provision of care packages to more than 51,000 Bhutanese over the age of 60,” he states.

The results have been exemplary, as the numbers attest: as of August 15, 2021, Bhutan has recorded only three deaths from COVID-19 and there are currently 32 active cases out of a total of 2,566 cases since the start of the pandemic.

Bhutan received a donation of 150,000 AstraZeneca Covishield vaccines from India in January 2021, and 400,000 more in March 2021. In April 2021, the country made headlines when it completed administering the first dose of the vaccine to over 85% of its 548,000 eligible adults (over 18 years old) in just one week.

But the country faced vaccine shortages after India banned the export of COVID-19 vaccines in late March. Reportedly, the deadline to give the second dose of AstraZeneca was within 12 weeks to 16 weeks of the first dose.

Bhutan engaged in diplomatic efforts to get vaccines from other sources, and in June, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering announced that the country was ready to mix and match COVID-19 vaccine doses to complete the vaccination of its population.

On July 12, 2021, the first batch of 500,000 Moderna vaccines from the United States through the COVAX program arrived in Bhutan. The country also received more than 350,000 AstraZeneca shots from Bulgaria, Croatia and Denmark, and 50,000 Sinopharm doses from China in July 2021.

The program to administer the second dose of the vaccine started on July 20, 2021. Within a week, almost 90% of the adult population had received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. As of August 12, 69% of the total population had received at least one dose and around 61% of the total population had received two doses. The authorities were also citizens to offer citizens a choice between the Moderna and AstraZeneca shots.

Another factor in Bhutan’s successful vaccination campaign was the use of the Bhutan Vaccine System (BVS) developed by the country’s Ministry of Health with support from the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The digital system features an online registration system that generates vaccination schedules, monitors stocks, and produces real-time reports and vaccine certificates.

Bhutan’s high altitude, the remoteness of some of its mountain villages, and its extreme weather make delivering vaccines across the country challenging. Namgay Zam observed that reaching those vaccination centers in remote locations was an amazing feat by the health workers:

The vaccination of children aged 12-17 commenced in Bhutan on July 29.

Bhutan helps Nepal

After the success of inoculations in the country, Bhutan donated 230,000 shots of AstraZeneca vaccines to its neighbour Nepal, which had earlier sought vaccine support from Bhutan after learning about its excess stock. Only around 16% per cent of Nepal’s 29 million residents has received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and only around 10% have been fully vaccinated.

The success of the vaccination drive prompted Bhutan to reconsider opening for tourists. The country resumed issuing tourist visas from August 5, 2021, though the mandatory 21-days quarantine is still in effect.