By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
Nigeria is set to receive 41. 2 million doses of the COVID- 19 vaccines between the months of July to September 2021.
Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib made this known today at the agency headquarters in Abuja at a Media Briefing on the progress on COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria. Shuaib said that Nigeria which has gone past vaccinating over 4 million people with the Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine is expecting another huge consignment of different vaccines in the next two months.
He said, “We have also received communication for the delivery of the following vaccine shipments in the coming months.
“3,924,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca by end of July or early August 2021 from the COVAX facility.”
“3,930,910 doses of Pfizer-Bio-N Tech COVID-19 vaccine in August from the COVAX facility donated by the United States Government.”
“3,577,860 doses of Pfizer-Bio-N Tech COVID-19 vaccine in Q3 from the COVAX facility.”
“29,850,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson (Jassen) COVID-19 vaccine by the end of September, that will arrive in batches from the African Union Commission.”
As a way of ensuring absolute potency of the expected vaccines, Shuaib disclosed that the Federal Government has procured 60 units of U701 Ultra cold chain equipment out of which 37 have been deployed to all the 36 states and the FCT in preparation to received all the COVID-19 vaccines that would need ultra cold temperature of below 40 to 85 degrees. He said this would ensure that anyone who is 18 years and above including pregnant women and lactating mothers are eligible to take the vaccine, adding that people should register and ensure they make themselves available for the vaccination on due dates.
The NPHCDA boss however advised that peoples should continue with the brand of vaccines they started with, giving the example that if an individual started with Oxford/ AstraZeneca he or she must stick to it and not take Johnson and Johnson at the second dose.
Meanwhile he revealed that in preparation for local production of the COVID- 19 vaccine in the country the Federal Ministry of Health and stakeholders are committed to support a local partner Biovaccines Nigeria Limited towards local vaccine production.
Speaking on the recent detection of the Delta Variant of COVID-19 in Nigeria, he advised people to continue to observe non-pharmaceutical or public health measures such as wearing of facemask, social distancing and hand hygiene in order to curb the transmission of the disease, before arrival of additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Shuaib said, ” As at July 13, Nigeria has recorded 168,713 cases of the Delta variant , which WHO says is one of the most transmissible of all the COVID-19 variants.
Furthermore he gave the assurance that the Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine currently used in Nigeria is 88% effective for the Delta variant.
So far Nigeria has recorded 2,124 fatalities of the Delta variant which WHO says has also spread to 104 countries.
