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Medical professionals give divergent views on COVID-19 vaccine production

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FOLLOWING the designation of Nigeria as one of the countries for COVID-19 vaccine production, medical professionals have expressed divergent views on the country’s ability to effectively handle the production processes.

President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Professor Innocent Ujah, in his view, said vaccine production in Nigeria is not new, adding that to have effective COVID-19 vaccine production will require political action, not just political will.

He also asked the government to address the issue of brain drain in the profession, to ensure it does not have negative effect on the production take-off. D i r e c t o r – G e n e r a l , Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Professor Babatunde Salako, said ensuring clinical trials of the vaccine after production in the country will not be difficult, because clinical trials is not new in the country.

Professor Salako said that the designation of Nigeria by World Health Organisation (WHO) for COVID-19 vaccine production is a positive step in ensuring the country is vaccine sufficient and, thereby, create more jobs in the country.

He added, “It is not that we are going to start production from the scratch, all we need is the help from WHO with respect to technology transfer and other supports.

“Nigeria is already on the way to vaccine production by setting up Biovaccine Nigeria Limited and even given a grant of about N10 billion. So everything is set and good for Nigeria.”

A virologist and former vice chancellor, Redeemer’s University, Professor Oyewole Tomori, said Nigeria earned the vaccine production status through a team work involving the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Biovaccine Limited but added that the process be backed up with required funding and without any government bureaucracy.

According to him, “we have provided evidence that we have the capacity, but the government must enable that capacity to become capability.” Managing Director, May and Baker Nigeria, Mr Patrick Ajah, the company that is into partnership with the Federal Government in establishing Biovaccine Limited, said the groundbreaking of production facility will hopefully take place this year.

According to him, Nigeria must get to a point where change in government will not affect ongoing project. CEO, Innovative Biotech, Nigeria, Dr Simeon Agwale, said South Africa, the hub for transferring the technology for vaccine production, will start work by 2024.

According to him, “they (South Africa) will develop the technology, carry out clinical trials and once everything is ready, transfer it to the hubs, one of which is Nigeria. It will be ready for sometimes in 2024, if everything goes according to plan.

“Nigeria doesn’t have facility to produce vaccine, so all these capacity must be built. They will only transfer technology to people that are ready.”

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