UPDATE: COVID-19 VACCINES ARRIVE IN NIGERIA

Nigeria have received nearly four million doses of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, shipped via the COVAX Facility, a partnership between CEPI, UNICEF, Gavi and WHO (World Health Organisation).

It is believed that COVAX have delivered 3.94 million doses of the vaccine, which arrived from Mumbai into Abuja around 11:30am yesterday morning.

Presidential aid, Bashir Ahmad, tweeted yesterday “Nigeria has just received the first batch of Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine”. The welcomed news comes as the nation plans to successfully vaccinate 40% of the Nigerian population this year.

UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, stated “The UN Country Team in Nigeria reiterates its commitment to support the vaccination campaign in Nigeria and help contain the spread of the virus.

“The arrival of these vaccines in Abuja today marks a milestone for the COVAX Facility in its unprecedented effort to deliver at least 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines globally by the end of 2021”.

In accordance with the National strategy, front healthcare workers will be inoculated first.

WHO representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, said “It is heart-warming to witness this epoch-making event and WHO wishes to congratulate the government of Nigeria for its participation in the global vaccine collaboration (COVAX) efforts and its commitment to protecting Nigerians against this pandemic.

“Vaccines are a critical new tool in the battle against COVID-19; therefore, this is a step in the right direction. These vaccines have undergone rigorous regulatory processes at global and country level and have been deemed safe and effective.”

Source: The Punch, March 2021