New York, NY - Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas alongside 21 other legislators has penned a letter sent to United States Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer regarding the distribution of vaccines in Nepal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Nepal’s residents are experiencing very high levels of COVID-19 cases, surpassing the death rates of India and other South Asian countries. The lack of hospital beds, oxygen tanks, and vaccines have made the issue a humanitarian crisis that cannot be ignored.

Nepal has suffered through incredible loss, with over 630,00 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 9,000 deaths as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). At the time the letter was drafted Reuter estimated that given the 35,908 doses administered daily, it would take another 160 days to vaccinate another 10% of the population. This is not enough vaccinations to prevent and protect the lives of the Nepali people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rates Nepal at a Level 4: Very High Level of COVID-19, with the decrease in COVID cases nearly stagnant. As this virus continues to claim the lives of Nepali people, basic hospital necessities like oxygen, and hospital beds are becoming scarce.

The state legislators requested that Majority Leader Schumer urge the Biden Administration to commit to a sufficient distribution of vaccines from the United States stockpile to the Nepali people. The CDC has administered over 290 million vaccines throughout the United States, with over 132 million Americans being fully vaccinated and 165 million having received at least one dose of the vaccine. The United States needs to share resources to work to fight against the pandemic.

“It is crucial to share our stockpile of vaccinations with the global community to combat the pandemic, and save millions of lives,” said Assemblymember González-Rojas. “As a legislator with a vibrant Nepali community in my district, it is important to me that our neighbors’ families and loved ones in Nepal receive the support they need from our federal government. We have the resources to help Nepal and I am calling on our government to do so.”