Kazeem Biriowo, Author at Tribune Online

National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has disclosed that Nigeria will receive 41,282,770 doses of Oxford/Astrazeneca, Pfizer-Bio-N Tech and Johnson & Johnson (Jassen) COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX facility between August and September 2021. Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib stated this at a media briefing on the progress of the COVID-19 vaccine exercise on Tuesday in Abuja. Shuaib said the Agency has received communication for the delivery in the shipment of the 3,924,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca by end of July or early August 2021 from the COVAX facility. He added "3,930,910 doses of Pfizer-Bio-N Tech COVID-19 vaccine in August from the COVAX facility donated by the United States Government and 3,577,860 doses of Pfizer-Bio-N Tech COVID-19 vaccine in Q3 from the COVAX facility. Shuaib further disclosed that additional 29,850,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Jassen) COVID-19 vaccine by the end of September will arrive in batches from the African Union Commission. According to Shuaib, "The National Primary Health Care Development Agency is putting in place all necessary logistics for storage, distribution, security, and accountability for the range of vaccines we are expecting". "To this end, the Federal Government of Nigeria has procured 60 units of U701 ultra cold chain equipment, and as we speak, 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." Shuaib stressed that anyone who is 18 years and above is eligible to take the COVID-19 vaccine. "This includes pregnant and lactating women. I, therefore, call on every eligible person to register and ensure that they make themselves available for vaccination on due dates". Shuaib enjoined the media not to allow any information vacuum that mischief-makers would take advantage of to further mislead innocent people. "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. "In the course of this exercise, the country recorded 14,550 cases of mild to moderate Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI), with only 148 cases considered to be severe. "However, we did not record any case of death associated with COVID-19 vaccination. "Accordingly, the country has officially ended the first phase of its strategic COVID-19 vaccination plan and is now preparing to commence the second phase in the next few weeks". Shuaib further reiterated the government's commitment to supporting local partners to produce the local vaccines. "With the leadership of Eminent Nigerians, the Federal Ministry of Health and its agencies are continuing the process of supporting our local partner, Biovaccines Nigeria limited towards establishing local vaccine production." "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, while we await additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccines." YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE Buhari Urges MTN For Quality Service, Downward Price Review In Cost Of Data, Other Services President Muhammadu Buhari Friday at State House Abuja urged the MTN Group to make the available top-of-the-range service to its Nigerian subscribers... Nigeria to receive over 40 million doses in September ; Nigeria to receive over 40 million doses in September ; Nigeria to receive over 40 million doses in September ; Nigeria to receive over 40 million doses in September.