By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Finally Nigeria is ready to receive about 4 million doses of the popular AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday.
In a joint press statement made available to Daybreak today the NPHCDA, WHO and UNICEF announced arrival of the first consignment of 3.92 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines into the country on Tuesday.
The delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine is part of an overall 16 million doses planned to be delivered to Nigeria in batches over the next months by the COVAX Facility, as part of an unprecedented global effort to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
According to the statement, Nigeria is scheduled to take delivery of the first consignment of 3.92 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, 2 March, 2021 making Nigeria the next West African country to benefit from the COVAX Facility after Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire.
On arrival of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, said it would commence the vaccination of Nigerians in priority groups, starting with the frontline healthcare workers.
Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib said , “We are fully prepared to receive and deliver the vaccine to eligible Nigerians as we have commenced the training of health workers and ensured that cold chain facilities are ready at all levels.”
“We have a robust cold chain system that can store all types of COVID-19 vaccine in accordance with the required temperature.” “We are therefore confident that we will have a very effective roll-out of the vaccine, starting with our critical healthcare workers, who are in the frontline in providing the care we all need.”
UNICEF Nigeria Peter Country Representative, Peter Hawkins said, “The COVAX Facility, has worked exceptionally hard to ensure that Nigeria gets the vaccine as soon as possible so it can start its vaccination programme to the largest population in Africa.”
Vaccines are a critical tool in the battle against COVID-19. In the meantime, Nigerians must continue to take steps to contain the virus, as the vaccination programme will take at least a year before it is fully effective,” said Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO Representative in Nigeria.
The Federal Government said it plans to vaccinate at least 70% of eligible Nigerians aged 18 years and above in four phases within two years.
Shuaib noted that the arrival of the vaccine is through the jojnt efforts of the Federal Government, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and the Minister of Health.
Daybreak reports that the COVAX Facility is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), with UNICEF as a key implementing partner.
