Nigeria to receive millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine from COVAX
Nigeria is to receive 3,930,910 doses of Pfizer-Bio-N Tech COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX facility donated by the United States Government next month.
The country will also receive 3,577,860 doses of Pfizer-Bio-N Tech vaccine in the third quarter from the COVAX facility as well as 29,850,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine by the end of September courtesy of the African Union Commission.
These are in addition to 3,924,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca being expected by the end of July or early August from the COVAX facility.
Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) Dr. Faisal Shuaib who disclosed this while briefing journalists on the progress of Covid-19 vaccination in the country, said that the agency is putting in place all necessary logistics for storage, distribution, security, and accountability for the range of vaccines it is expecting.
He revealed that the Federal Government has procured 60 units of U701 ultra cold chain equipment, adding that about 37 of them have been deployed to all the 36 States and FCT in preparation to receive all COVID-19 vaccines that would require an ultra-cold temperature of below 40 to 85 degrees.
He stated that with the detection of the Delta Variant of COVID-19 in Nigeria, it is important that Nigerians 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.
Shuaib, who explained that anyone who is 18 years and above is eligible to take the COVID-19 vaccine including pregnant and lactating women, urged all eligible persons to register and ensure that they make themselves available for vaccination on due dates.
“We have also received communication for the delivery of the following vaccine shipments in the coming months,” Shuaib said.
“We are making every effort and are confident that, with your continued support, Nigeria will be able to make more significant utilization of the vaccines, that would be supplied to the country.
“It is with the support of our mainstream media community that Nigeria has successfully vaccinated 3,938,945 eligible persons across 36 States and FCT, representing 98% utilization of the 4,024,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine it received from COVAX facility in March 2021. This comprises of 2,534,205 people who have been vaccinated for the first dose, and 1,404,205 who have received their second dose of the vaccine.”