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Tag: COVID-19 vaccines

  • COVID-19: Nigeria set to debut first vaccine in 18 months as TETFund supports local production with N450m

    COVID-19: Nigeria set to debut first vaccine in 18 months as TETFund supports local production with N450m

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    Nigeria’s has began moves to kick start it’s initial COVID -19 vaccines in 18 months following support of N450 million donation by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

    Meanwhile Project Manager, Nigeria COVID-19 Research Coalition (NCRC), Prof. Poopola Mustapha, has hinted that at least $500 million is needed yearly for research and development in the health sector.

    Mustapha disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at a colloquium organised by the coalition.
    According to him, e proposition by the African Union (AU) has proposed that countries should set aside one per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a contribution for research and development (R&D).

    He said, “Our National GDP is $500 billion and one per cent of this is $5 billion.”
    Mustapha explained that before now, TETFund used to concentrate on funding for research and development only in the tertiary education sector, but for the first time, it brought together five institutions that are having real-time business in terms of the development of vaccines in the country, using the COVID-19 model.

    He noted that institutions involved include the National Veterinary Research Institute (NDRI), Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto; the University of Jos and the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), as “we are looking at the reagents component of what is needed so that it can be produced locally.”

    Daybreak reports that the highest grant portfolio for research is around $20 million while the health sector requires at least $500 million yearly to have concrete research for qualitative development.

    Coordinator of NCRC, Dr. Chinwe Ochu, advocated for domestic funding for the pandemic and other health research in the country, and disclosed that her organisation was set up to conduct COVID19 research, but lamented the absence of funding.

  • Nigeria Receives 3.2 Million Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccines From U.S

    Nigeria Receives 3.2 Million Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccines From U.S

    Nigeria has received 3.2 million Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines donated by the United States as authorities step up efforts to curb the spread of the disease in the country.

    The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib, and his technical staff among others took delivery of the vaccines presented by the U.S. Ambassador, Beth Leonard, on Tuesday at the National Strategic Warehouse in Abuja.

    “These vaccines have over six months of validity before expiration and are being stored at the National Strategic Warehouse for distribution to thousands of COVID-19 vaccination sites nationwide,” a statement from the U.S. Mission Nigeria read.

    “During the visit, Ambassador Leonard inspected the vaccine doses and discussed how the agency is maintaining proper ultra-cold storage, as safe and effective vaccines are our best tool to ending the pandemic.

    “The latest shipment reflects the United States’ commitment to purchase and donate 1.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses worldwide. To date, the United States has delivered more than 370 million vaccine doses to over 110 countries. This includes the over 24.7 million U.S-donated doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Nigerian people.”

    According to the statement, all Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by the U.S. to Nigeria have had an expiration deadline of at least six months or more upon receipt to ensure adequate time for use.

    It explained that the vaccine donations were a part of the U.S. government’s continued partnership with the Nigerian Government in combating COVID-19.

    “To date, the U.S. government has provided over $130 million of technical and financial support to Nigeria’s COVID-19 response specifically for vaccination roll out and administration, deployment of personnel to support the response, last-mile delivery and supply chain logistics, epidemiological and vaccine-related COVID-19 surveys and surveillance systems, testing capacity and molecular lab networks, personal protective equipment, and provision of rapid response teams.

    “The U.S. government has also contributed to the training of over 200,000 military and civilian personnel on COVID-19 control measures and maintaining preventive health and social services. The U.S. government urges all Nigerians to go out and get vaccinated to make themselves safe and make use of the donated COVID-19 vaccines,” the statement added.

    It stated that these actions would strengthen not only the health and well-being of Nigeria but the overall worldwide response to the pandemic.

    The U.S. government stressed that every individual has a vital role to play in supporting the global effort needed to stem the spread of COVID-19.

    It promised to continue its partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to defeat COVID-19 and deliver life-saving vaccine doses across the country via COVAX.

  • FG Destroys Over 1m Expired COVID-19 Vaccines

    FG Destroys Over 1m Expired COVID-19 Vaccines

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    The Federal Government today destroyed over a million doses of expired COVID-19 Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines.

    Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib, at the Gosa Dumpsite in the FCT Abuja where the destruction took place said that Nigeria had successfully withdrawn about 1,066,214, doses of expired Astra Zeneca vaccines from across the country.

    Shuaib attributed the expiration of the vaccines to the consequence of delays in the shipment of vaccine doses, especially of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which meant countries couldn’t roll them out before expiration.

    He explained that by this action, Nigeria has joined African countries, like Malawi, South Sudan, Liberia, Mauritania, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Comoros, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to destroy its expired COVID-19 vaccines.

    “As you can see these vaccines have now been deposited by the Abuja Environmental Protection Agency. We have come through in our promise to all Nigerians to be transparent in our delivery of vaccines.”
    ” These vaccines did not expire before we took the decision to withdraw them today, this is an opportunity for Nigerians to have further faith in our vaccination program because we have lived up to the expectation of all Nigerians.
    We had the option if we were to take the advice of some experts to try and use these vaccines even beyond the label expiry date, but working together with our sister agency, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), who took that decision to destroy these vaccines at the point that they got expired, Shuaib said.

    He noted that the destruction was to further demonstrate the high standards that the agency operate within Nigeria.

    He emphasized, ” the work that we requires trust. It is a sacred trust that has been bestowed on us by the generalizing generality of Nigerians and hold that trust to be true. And we pride that trust very jealously.
    This is why today, we are destroying these vaccines that have expired.

    “A few months ago, when these vaccines were offered to us, we knew that they had a short shelf life. But we were living in an environment where the supply of COVID-19 vaccines were very scarce. They were not available due to vaccine nationalism.”

    Dr. Shuaib also acknowledged the fact that the vaccines were almost expired but, because the government wanted to satisfy and protect Nigerians the donations were accepted.

    “We offer to accept these vaccines worked collaboratively with NPHCDA to ensure that none of vaccines were bad, they were also tested to ensure that the vaccines were in good condition. We rolled out under very difficult circumstances.
    According to the agency engaged the frontline health workers, working night and day, adding that staff of the agency were also working around the clock under very extreme situations to make sure that Nigerians have access to vaccines, even when these vaccines were not widely available.

    “We’re able to vaccinate over 10 million Nigerians with these short shelf life vaccines.”

    He stated that if the country had waited till when vaccines would be widely available, maybe it would not have gotten any Nigerian vaccinated by now.

    “So my heart and my pride goes out to those frontline health workers that continue to work around the clock.”

    We still have short shelf life vaccines in the country. They are still potent. They have not reached the end of use dates and the health workers are still going around every community and settlement to ensure Nigerians are vaccinated,“ The ED explained.

    Meanwhile, the Director-General, NAFDAC, Dr Mojisola Adeyeye, noted that Nigeria was the only country with a unique vaccination programme.

    Adeyeye said, “Nigeria has one of the best vaccination immunization program in the world, as UNICEF attested this last year. In terms of what we are witnessing today. It is a continuous unfolding of the fact that the best is for all Nigerians because Nigerians deserve the best in terms of quality of medicines, vaccines.”

    She concored that And what he said about the vaccines coming with short expiration dates pose a challenge to us as a country. But because of the love of the country, we decided to walk with that tight timespan or challenge,” she said.

    The NAFDAC boss said, “We approved the dozier first when the vaccines come and we make sure that nobody uses the vaccines unless NAFDAC said so , this shows that NAFDAC is working day and nights to ensure that the vaccines is of quality.”

    She added that this was part of quality control that the agency had been doing and in the regulatory language its called “market control”

    The vaccines come to NPHCDA, which is tested in the lab immediately people come from Lagos to sample, we test it, it’s not just testing also, we put it on dip database a track and trace database that will show us where the vaccines are in the country,” she explained.

    Adeyeye noted that NAFDAC was the only regulatory agency in Africa that is doing this check on COVID-19 vaccine before use.

  • Africa to receive first of 400m Johnson & Johnson vaccines next week

    Africa to receive first of 400m Johnson & Johnson vaccines next week

    Africa, battling a severe third wave of Covid-19 infections, will receive the first batch of 400-million doses of vaccines from Johnson & Johnson next week, the AU’s special envoy on Covid said on Thursday.

    So far, only about 60-million doses have been administered among a total population of 1.3-billion on the 55-nation continent.

    J&J doses will be used to immunise half of the estimated 800-million people in need of the vaccine on the continent, Strive Masiyiwa, who is also the co-ordinator of the AU task force on vaccine acquisition, told an online news conference.

    About six-million doses will be delivered to 27 nations that have paid their share through the end of August, Masiyiwa said. Another 18 are finalising loans from the World Bank and other global lenders before they make payment.

    Deliveries will rise to an average of 10-million a month from September, increasing to 20-million in January until the order is fulfilled by September 2022, he added.

    The balance of the vaccine requirements for the continent will come from Covax, the global vaccine-sharing scheme for poorer nations, as well as bilateral donations from developed nations such as the US, Masiyiwa said.

    J&J, whose vaccine is administered through a single shot, will ship the doses from a facility in SA through its partnership with Aspen Pharmacare, he said.

    Masiyiwa called on pharmaceutical companies to produce vaccines in Africa under licencing arrangements, rather than under contract manufacturing, which critics say prevents countries having vaccine independence.

    “We want to be treated the same way as they produce in India,” Masiyiwa said.

    EU countries have donated less than 3% of the 160-million doses — mostly AstraZeneca shots — that they plan to give to help tame the global pandemic, an EU document shows.

    The small shipments are likely to stir the debate about how wealthy countries are sharing their surplus shots while poor countries still struggle to get supplies.

    The WHO has called on Western governments to donate shots to the Covax programme that it runs with vaccine charity GAVI to ensure fair and equitable distribution to the world’s neediest.

    Many poor countries rely on Covax for their vaccines, but it has so far delivered only 135-million shots globally and the scheme is highly dependent on donated doses. Plans to buy shots on its own were temporarily derailed by vaccine makers’ production problems and export restrictions in India.

    The EU has received enough vaccines to fully inoculate 70% of adults, while SA has given only 7% of its adult population one dose and Nigeria just 1%.

    The EU shipments are also small compared with more than 15-million doses donated by the US and shipped over the past month to countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America as part of the its pledge to give 80-million vaccines. A big portion of those have been through Covax.

    The EU has committed to help inoculate the most vulnerable across the world but, like other wealthy countries, member states have so far focused on buying shots to inoculate their own citizens, contributing to a shortage of vaccines elsewhere.

    EU states, with a combined adult population of 365-million, have so far received about 500-million doses from drugmakers and expect nearly one-billion by the end of September.

    But as of July 13, they had donated less than four-million shots, according to the internal document compiled by the European Commission.

    EU countries have committed to sharing about 160-million doses in total, mostly without preference about their destination, the report says. The tally of shipments and pledged total have not been reported before.

    Brussels has previously said EU nations plan to donate at least 100-million doses by the end of the year. There is no timeline for the target listed in the document.

    Those distributed so far have gone mostly to countries and territories with a link to the donor as member states seek to boost relations with nearby countries and deepen diplomatic ties.

    The EU countries have so far promised to donate almost exclusively AstraZeneca shots, the document shows. J&J is the second-most frequent choice for donations, though a large portion of pledges are for unspecified shots.

    Many EU countries have set limits on the use of the AstraZeneca and J&J vaccines due to concerns about extremely rare blood clotting, reducing the capacity to use them.

    Germany, the EU’s largest country, has committed to donating 33-million doses, the document says, 30-million of which are AstraZeneca and J&J, The remaining three-million have yet to be specified.

    German officials said donations would begin in August and confirmed the numbers and types of vaccines to be donated.

    France is by far the EU’s main donor in terms of pledges. It has promised 60-million doses, mostly to Covax and largely without any preference on their final destination.

    However, it has so far delivered only about 800,000 doses, half of which went to its former colonies, Senegal, Mauritania and Burkina Faso, the document shows.

  • Covid-19 Vaccines: Kogi Records 100% Success Administration – Dr. Saka

    Covid-19 Vaccines: Kogi Records 100% Success Administration – Dr. Saka

    By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

    The Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Haruna Saka on Thursday in Lokoja said that the state achieved 100% success rate in the administration of the first dose of the astrazeneca/Oxford vaccine.

    Dr. Saka who disclosed this at the flagg off of the Second dose of Covid19 Vaccines, expressed satisfaction that the State also recorded least wastage rate during the administration which began on the 6th of April, 2021.

    The Commissioner who was represented by the Director Primary Health Care, by Dr. Francis Akpa, expressed appreciation to the vaccines consortium in its efforts to containing the ravaging scorge of the Covid19.

    He appealled to the people of the State who have taken the first dose to make themselves available at all health facilities across the state for the second dose, describing it as safe and free.

    Dr. Saka said the next phase involving all categories of persons would begin after the completion of the administration of the second dose, Commended the Frontline workers for there painstaking efforts in meeting the set target.

    Also speaking, Dr Abubakar Yakubu said the state received 43,900 doses of the Vaccines representing 4,390 viles, adding that 31,960 doses were administered to 26,665 persons.

    Dr. Abubakar who explained that the state recorded 102% of the target population, said only 14% of wastage rate was recorded by the state.

    The Director explained that the State adopted best practices to achieve the significant result, expressed satisfaction that despite the conspiracy theory, no any side effect after administering the vaccines recorded across the state.

    Dr. Abubakar Commended those in the Frontline administering the vaccines, said despite the increase of the vaccines from 16000 to 22000, the men rose to the occasion and levelled up within a week.

  • Nigeria takes steps towards COVID-19 vaccine local Production

    Nigeria takes steps towards COVID-19 vaccine local Production

    7,465 Nigerians get 2nd dose of vaccine jab 

    As a way of closing up the COVID- 19 vaccine supply gap in Nigeria and the African continent the Nigerian Government has taken steps to fast track local production of the vaccine within the confines of the country.

    Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib made this known yesterday in Abuja at the second press conference to update

    Nigerians on the status of COVID-19 vaccination.

    Shuaib said, ” while we are pushing for equity, justice and fair play in the global allocation of vaccines, the FMOH is working with critical stakeholders to fast track the establishment of local vaccine production plants in Nigeria.”

    This initiative will be seizing on the environment created by the lopsided availability of vaccines, momentum around intellectual property waivers and health security imperatives that vaccines represent.”

    Meanwhile, the NPHCDA boss said that 73,465 Nigerians have received their second dose of COVID- 19 vaccination across the country while 1,956,598 people received their first dose of the Astrazeneca vaccine.

    He urged all Nigerians who have received their first dose to go back for the second jab at the same health facility where they got the first jab to ensure full protection against COVID-19.

    He advised citizens relocating from states where they took their for dose to go access special vaccination sites that would accommodate administering their second dose, adding that Nigerians can access the list of vaccination sites available on the agency’s website www.nphcda.gov.ng for update on vaccination points.

    WHO Country Representative, DR. Walter Kazadi congratulated NPHCDA for the success of the second dose of COViD-19 vaccination .

    Kazadi noted that the Africa continent has received less of it’s share of the Covax facility while some African countries are losing the vaccine that expire before it’s use while others are re- distributing the vaccine elsewhere.

    We need those vaccines to end the pandemic, he emphasized.

    UNICEF representative said called on those who have received their first dose of the vaccine to go to the nearest vaccination site to get their second dose.

  • 1.9m Nigerians get 1st dose of COVID-19 vaccines jab – Dr Shuaib

    1.9m Nigerians get 1st dose of COVID-19 vaccines jab – Dr Shuaib

    … FG protects Nigerians from Indian variant, bars flights from India, Turkey Brazil into Nigeria

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib has disclosed that already 1, 929,237 Nigerians have been vaccinated with the 1st dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during the first phase of the exercise.

    Shuaib made this known in Abuja yesterday at the press briefing on the COVID- 19 vaccine update in the country.

    He said, ” We have now provided first COVID-19 vaccine doses to a total number of 1,929,237 Nigerians representing 96% of the targeted population.”

    According to the NPHCDA boss the second dose of vaccination has begun with 4,683 Nigerians already reached, as he called on those who have received the first dose to check their cards to ensure they get the second dose for full protection against the deadly virus.

    He promised that the agency will not relent in creating awareness through communication and mobilization activities to ensure that people get accurate information about COVID- 19 vaccination.

    “Our goal is to do everything possible to educate, combat misinformation, and ensure confidence in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, and to ensure all Nigerians have clear information on how, where, and when to get the vaccine through continuous engagement and communication with communities across our country.”

    Meanwhile he said that owing to the global vaccine supply challenge presently Nigeria does not have clarity on the next supply of the COVID- 19 vaccine.

    Speaking on the possibility of Nigeria having access to other brands of the COVID- 19, he disclosed that just recently Pfizer and BioNTech have pledged to provide 1 billion doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to low-and-middle income countries by the end of 2021, and another 1 billion doses in 2022.

    Johnson & Johnson also announced it has signed a deal to provide 200 million doses of its vaccine to Covax.

    Furthermore, as a way of eradicating the viral pandemic from countries Dr. Shuaib said by that the International Monetary Fund is already advocating for a $50 billion fund to be spent on ensuring a faster rollout of COVID-19 vaccines globally and also calling for at least 40% of the global population to be vaccinated by the end of this year, and at least 60% by June 2022.

    ” The fund would be used to increase COVAX vaccine coverage, procure additional tests, and expand vaccine production capacity. We strongly endorse the creation of such a fund, and emphasize that all nations must have comparable access to COVID-19 vaccines in order to end this pandemic.”

    To boost vaccine supply , the United States announced it will donate 20 million vaccine doses by the end of June to the COVAX scheme, he disclosed

    To protect Nigerians against B.1.617.2, known as the Indian variant, Dr. Shuaib announced that the Federal Government have barred flights from India and other high-risk countries such as Turkey and Brazil from entering Nigeria.

    He enjoined Nigerians to continue to observe the Public Health or non-pharmaceutical measures to curb the transmission of Covid-19, as to the pandemic is still here.

    UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Dr. Peter Hawkins at the update briefing commended Nigeria for vaccinating 1.9 Nigerians in less than three months.

    Hawkins called on traditional, religious and community leaders to encourage their people to step forward to be vaccinated, adding that to protect oneself is to protect one’s family and communities.

    He said, ” We hope that by the end of this year we will be able to vaccinate 40,000 people and by 2022 the remaining 60,000 to make up the vaccinated population”, adding that this requires a lot of social mobilization and collective efforts to protect the nation.

  • China administers over 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines

    China administers over 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines

    By Shen Shaotie, People’s Daily

    China has administered over 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far, a health official told a press conference on April 21.

    Authorities have taken into account the demand for the second dose in the allocation of vaccines to localities, said Mi Feng, deputy director of the publicity department of the country’s National Health Commission (NHC).

    He urged local efforts in precise vaccine distribution and supply to ensure that people get their second dose within eight weeks following the first one.

    At present, China is advancing its mass vaccination campaign with two priorities, said the press conference.

    It is ensuring inoculation in key areas, including port cities, border regions, and medium- and large-sized cities with high risks of infection, as well as areas where cluster infections had happened.

    Meanwhile, vaccines are giving to key groups in the country, such as employees in cold-chain businesses, health workers, staff members of government organizations, public institutions and enterprises, students and faculty of colleges and universities, service staff of large supermarkets, as well as those working in the transport, logistics and public service sectors.

    “So far, the vaccination rate among health workers has exceeded 80 percent,” said Li Dachuan, another official with the NHC.

    China launched its mass vaccination campaign on Dec.15,2020. On March 24 this year, it initiated a daily vaccination report, since which it has witnessed a daily increase of more than 3 million doses.

    Outside the Donghua Gate of the Palace Museum in Beijing, a mobile vaccination vehicle is put into use, which offers vaccination services for not only local citizens, but also tourists from the rest of the country. Twenty-one days after the first dose is given, the vaccinated will receive a message reminder from the vaccinator, who will also call the tourists to finish the second shot in any neighborhood.

    In Weishan County, east China’s Shandong Province, a mobile vaccination team has been established to administer doses to fishermen offshore. So far, the team has launched 70 operations, giving shots to over 15,000 lakeside residents.

    Policies and measures have also been rolled out across China to facilitate the vaccination for foreigners. Since March 29, expatriates in Shanghai have been able to volunteer to get the COVID-19 vaccine simply by making an appointment online. Those who have joined Chinese social security enjoy the same treatment as Chinese citizens that have done the same. Those who don’t can get the vaccine at 100 yuan ($15.4) per dose.

    South China’s Guangdong Province started administering COVID-19 vaccines to foreigners in the province on April 12 on a voluntary basis.

    Early in the morning on the next day, 33-year-old Pakistani ShmelMohamed got the vaccine at the province’s Zhuhai People’s Hospital. China has donated many vaccines to his country, and his families were also administered Chinese vaccines back home, he told People’s Daily.

    At present, vaccine manufacturers are in full production mode to make the doses. Last month, the Beijing Biological Products Institute Co., Ltd. under the China National Biotec Group (CNBG), which is affiliated with Sinopharm, kicked off the construction of its third-phase production base. Besides, the CNBG is also expanding capacity at six of its institutes in Beijing,Wuhan, Changchun, Shanghai, Lanzhou and Chengdu. The first batch of the Gansu-made vaccines have officially rolled off production line on March 29, and those made in Changchun were also available on April 6. On April 1, a new plant producing COVID-19 vaccines of Sinovac Life Sciences Co., Ltd.was also put into use.

  • China administers nearly 140 million COVID-19 vaccines

    China administers nearly 140 million COVID-19 vaccines

    China has administer 139.97 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines by April 4, 2021, said the country’s National Health Commission (NHC).

    China is working to ensure its vaccination efforts in major areas and key industries based on the overall plan of the country, inoculating the eligible population as widely as possible and progressing in stages, said Wu Liangyou, deputy director of the NHC’s Disease Prevention and Control Bureau.

    The country is gathering resources to ensure inoculation in large- and medium-sized cities, port cities, and border areas with high risks of infection, and priorities are given to key groups including public sector employees, students and faculty of colleges and universities, as well as service staff of large supermarkets, Wu introduced, adding that vaccination for other groups is also in progress.

    At present, Beijing, Shanghai and some other places in China have administered COVID-19 vaccines to senior citizens above the age of 60 and patients with chronic diseases who are willing to be vaccinated and in good physical conditions.

    He Qinghua, an official with the NHC, noted that the commission will advance the vaccination campaign in an order of priority, following the principle of informed consent, voluntary participation and free inoculation.

    The country is coordinating regular prevention and control with its vaccination efforts, ensuring that the regulatory responsibility of local governments and the oversight responsibility are fulfilled, and advancing its vaccination campaign in a more secured, orderly and forceful manner, He said.

    Besides, China is also taking steps to include more people in its vaccination campaign to ensure their health, the official added.

    So far, China has approved COVID-19 vaccines produced by five enterprises for conditional marketing or emergency use. Phase III clinical trials of three inactivated vaccines and one adenovirus vaccine showed that their efficacy met the requirements of China’s National Medical Products Administration and the World Health Organization. Phase II trials of the recombinant protein subunit vaccine approved for emergency use showed the vaccine is safe and can induce a strong immune response.
    “COVID-19 vaccines adopted by China have all gone through clinical studies in accordance with relevant standards, approved by national drug regulatory organizations and put into use after passing strict examination,” said Li Bin, deputy head of the NHC.
    All vaccines must be monitored and have their temperatures recorded at regular intervals to ensure that they meet the requirements regarding temperature environment and transportation.

    China’s health regulators also enhanced efforts on the training of health workers, requiring them to strictly obey operating instructions, so as to guarantee the efficacy and safety of the vaccines, Li added.

  • At Last, Kogi Takes Delivery Of 16,900 Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccines

    At Last, Kogi Takes Delivery Of 16,900 Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccines

    By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

    Kogi State Government on Monday night took delivery of about 16, 900 doses of the AstraZeneca Vaccine, after a protracted face-off between the state government and the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC).

    The Executive Director of Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KSPHCDA), Dr Abubakar Yakubu, led a team of officials from the agency and Kogi Ministry of Health to receive the vaccines at the National Programme on Immunization (NPI) Unit of the State Central Medical Store, Lokoja.

    Speaking to newsmen shortly after taken delivery of the vaccines, Yakubu said that the most awaited COVID-19 vaccines arrived Kogi from Abuja at about 7:40 pm, saying the state was well prepared for it.

    ”We have about 16,900 doses and the administration of the vaccines would be flagged off with the campaign in the Ministry of Health in the state on Tuesday, (Today)”

    ”The firstline of recipients of the vaccines are the health workers which will be demonstrated on Tuesday by 12 noon at the ministry.

    ”The vaccine administration will be followed by the frontline essential non health workers like the police, military, NSCDC, Custom men among others”, Yakubu said

    He added that the Ministry intended to carry out the campaign as efficient as they could because the state was a bit behind scheduled compared to other States, who had almost completed their 10 days mandatory campaign for the administration of the vaccines.

    The Executive Director noted that the state was initially expecting about 45, 000 doses of the vaccines from NPHCDA, which accounted for one per cent of the total population of Kogi State.

    ”But to our surprise, we are being supplied with 16,900 doses now, I think there will be further reconciliation to send the balance of the doses as soon as possible”, he said.

    Also speaking, Alh. Acheku Yusuf, Kogi State Health Promotion Officer, said the Ministry had solicited the support of all relevant stakeholders, and running jingles to ensure adequate sensitisation of the people about the vaccines.

    On her part, Mrs Bilikisu Adagiri, the State Cold Chain Officer, said the state was fully prepared for the administration of the vaccines to people above 18 years.

    Mr Olumide Ade-Yeye, the Vaccine Security and Logistic Consultant, UNICEF Kogi, said they were happy as a State to be part of those who would participate in COVID-19 vaccination.