BHUTAN
The Stars Aligned
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has vaccinated 90 percent of its eligible population within a week in what has been considered one of the world’s fastest and most effective vaccination campaigns against the coronavirus pandemic, the Washington Post reported.
The country’s foreign ministry said it managed to fully inoculate its eligible population with a second dose from July 20 to July 26 with the help of more than 4,800 health workers.
The successful campaign is a remarkable feat for the mountainous country wedged between India and China. Before the pandemic, the country only had 37 doctors and many rural areas were nearly inaccessible.
Bhutan’s efforts included the use of a wide network of health workers and more than 2,000 volunteers known as “desuung,” or the Guardians of the Peace, who operate under the authority of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. Authorities, including the king himself, also took a proactive stance to fight vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. Some healthcare workers trekked hours in the Himalayas to reach nomadic herders.
The country first received its large shipment of coronavirus vaccines in January. The start date of the campaign was selected through astrological consultations with Buddhist monks.
When the campaign began on March 26, more than 93 percent of eligible adults received the first dose in less than two weeks.
With a population of nearly 800,000, Bhutan has reported 2,501 confirmed cases and two deaths.
The success story contrasts with Bhutan’s neighbors India and Bangladesh, which are currently struggling with surges of the Delta variant and low vaccination rates.
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