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Tag: Dr. Faisal Shuaib

  • COVID-19: FG reopens administration of first dose to address demand increase – Dr Shuaib

    COVID-19: FG reopens administration of first dose to address demand increase – Dr Shuaib

    …launches Medi Safety, helpline for Adverse reaction

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    The Federal Government has reopened administration of first dose of the COVID- 19 vaccination across the country as a result of increase in the demand of vaccines by Nigerians.

    Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib made this know today in Abuja during a press briefing on the update of the COVID- 19 vaccination in the country.

    Shuaib said, ” You would recall that the government has reopened administration of the first dose to address increase in vaccine demand by people who are yet to be vaccinated. This resulted in the increase in number of clients vaccinated with the first dose.

    He disclosed that so far 2,099,568 people have collected the first dose of Oxford AstraZeneca jab while 1,005,234 people have received the second doses of the vaccine.

    The NPHCDA boss further announced that due to the economic constraints experienced by there is an extension of the second dose until 5th July 2021from the initial closing date of 25th of June, 2021.

    He urged those who have received their first dose not later than May23 to visit the nearest vaccination site to receive their second dose for full protection against COVID -19 and for those in Diaspora who are yani

    He however noted that full vaccination DOES NOT exempt people who have received their second doses of the vaccine from observing the infection prevention and control measures.

    “It is very important for everyone, including those who have received their second doses to continue to wear face masks and observe other non-pharmaceutical measures.

    He enjoined health workers not to turn back Nigerians living Disapora who are yarning to come back to the country for a second to walk into designed health care facility to receive their jab.

    He lamented that Nigeria among other low- middle income countries has experienced great frustration regarding the global vaccine supply due to great inequity in terms of distribution, but noted that due to large donations of vaccine supplies by donor country like the US Nigeria is expecting supply of new consignments of COVAX facility vaccines.

    Furthermore, the agency boss called on Nigerians to avail themselves the opportunity to report any adverse reactions on persons. He said that owing to Adverse event of the vaccine on persons a new App known as MED- SAFETY was launched by the agency in partnership with NAFDAC to help individuals to report vaccine side effects of persons.

    According to him, the application known as MED-SAFETY App was launched; it is available for free on Play store for Android devices and Apple Store for IOS devices. With this App, any individual can report vaccine side effect for him or herself, or on behalf of another person, and will receive timely response..

    So far after more than three million vaccinations, 13,267 people have experienced mild to moderate side effects, while 4,708 have experienced moderate to severe side effects, Shauaib announced.

    Meanwhile, the World Health Organization, WHO Country Representative Dr. Walther Kazadi Mulombo noted that vaccine iniquity among the public continue to give COVID-19 the reason to spread, adding that vaccine hestitency is also hampering vaccination.

    Mulombo advised that Nigerians must continue to wear face masks and observe physical distances amongst other non pharmaceutical protocols to ease the country of COVID- 19

    He stressed that 77% of all vaccine doses are being administered in just 10 countries.

    UNICEF Country Representative, Dr Gangan Gupta commended leadership of the government of Nigeria towards COVID- 19 elimination and congratulated government for reopening first dose of vaccination for those who missed the first dose.

    Gupta enjoined all Nigerians who have taken the first dose to go to the nearest centres to go get their second dose.

  • Nigeria expecting 3.92m doses of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines by July ending – NPHCDA

    Nigeria expecting 3.92m doses of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines by July ending – NPHCDA

    … 680, 345 Nigerians get second dose of vaccine

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib has announced that between July ending and early the second consignment of 3.92 million doses of the Oxford/ AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines will arrive Nigeria.

    Shuaib gave this hint yesterday during the press briefing update on the status of COVID-19 vaccination in the country.

    He said that so far 680, 345 Nigerians have collected their second dose of the COVID- 19 AstraZeneca vaccine and advised Nigerians who have received their first dose to check their vaccination cards for the date of their first dose and ensure that they receive the second dose between 6 – 12 weeks after their 1st dose to gain full protection against COVID-19.

    He called on those who are 18 years and above who has not been vaccinated to visit the nearest vaccination site for their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, for this category of persons their second dose will be due in 12 weeks when Nigeria would have received the next consignment of vaccines, adding that the agency is working with international partners to ensure that the next shipment of vaccines to Nigeria.

    This he noted confirms the US government’s willingness to purchase 500 million doses of the Pfizer- BioNTech vaccine to be donated to low and middle income countries through the next year as well as the MasterCard Foundation which has pledged to donate $1.3 billion for vaccines in Africa over the next three years in partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Speaking on the Indian ( Delta) variant B.1.617.2 he said that recent research has shown that it is 92% susceptible to Oxford/Astrazeneca. which confirms that the vaccine used in Nigeria can protect against this variant that caused high morbidity and mortality in India.

    The WHO Country Representative Dr. walter Kazadi Mulombo noted that the threat of the three wave of COVID- 19 is real in the African region including Nigeria.

    Mulombo noted that while the rollout of COVID – 19 is important while intensifying the preventive measures such as observing physical distancing, wearing of masks, avoiding crowds, cleaning of hands and coughing into handkerchief.

  • 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.