The World Health Organisation (WHO), has said that in Africa, the third wave appears to have been stabilized but the number of new cases is still very high with almost 248000 reported in the past week.
WHO representative to Nigeria, Dr Walter Mulombo said this on Tuesday, at the weekly National Vaccines briefing in Abuja.
Mulombo said that the trend the continent saw was that each new wave strikes Africa faster and harder, reaching a higher number of new cases more rapidly than the previous wave.
“This puts an increasing strain on already stretched health facilities and health workers.
“The good news is that increasing vaccine supplies raise hopes that the continent will meet the target of vaccinating 10 percent of the population by the end of September,” He said.
He added that equitable access to safe and effective vaccines was critical to ending the COVID-19 pandemic, so it was hugely encouraging to see vaccines listed for emergency use by WHO being available for use in Nigeria.
“However, to understand the recent upward trend that Nigeria is experiencing, we must remind ourselves that: weak observance of preventive measures, increased population movement and interaction have heightened the risk of COVID-19 resurgence in many States.
“These factors can contribute to increased case numbers. This ebb and flow in the pandemic’s transmission dynamics is expected and is likely to continue until a sizeable proportion of the Nigerian population is vaccinated.
“We have also been asked, at what point would WHO reconsider its position on booster doses”? The answer is, first, [WHO is] looking carefully at the outcome, which is of most relevance from a public health perspective, that is the severe disease, hospitalization and death outcome.
“The second “consideration” is the consistency of the findings. Acting on a single study is just not a sound policy basis. So, we are including the entirety of the evidence.
“The third “consideration” is around the issue of the risk groups. Recommendations around the use of booster doses would very much be tailored to risk groups which may experience some change in the performance of the vaccines over a period,” he added.
The WHO rep reiterated that, while it was important to look at future scenarios, Nigerians must continue to do everything they can to protect themselves now.
“Therefore, WHO continues to recommend a strong public health response, and for individuals to continue to protect themselves by getting vaccinated, maintaining a physical distance, wearing a mask, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces, cleaning hands and following respiratory hygiene”.
He added that journalists were critical in amplifying these messages.
Also speaking, a representative, from UNICEF in Nigeria, Dr Peter Hawkins, commended Nigeria on its successful commencement of its second Phase of vaccination.
Hawkins also congratulated COVAX for successfully bringing all the consignment received in Nigeria as part of the COVAX Facility, a partnership between CEPI, GAVI, UNICEF and WHO.
He said that it contributed to the objective of ensuring an equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.
He noted that this was now an opportunity for those 1.2 million people who took their first dose of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines to ensure they take their second dose before the end of September, to ensure that they are fully protected.
He urged Nigerians to meet their obligations, and go and get vaccinated and ensure the vaccines were not wasted.
He, however, disclosed that Nigeria inoculates between 60 to 70,000 doses every day, which he noted was commendable.
Early August, Nigeria has received about an additional four million and eighty (4,000,080) Moderna vaccines doses donated by the United State of America, and also received 1,292,640 doses of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines, a donation by the United Kingdom(UK) government.
The first shipment of 177,600 Johnson and Johnson vaccines doses from the African Union, single-shot vaccines under the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), has also been received in the country.
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… WHO says Africa stabilizes COVID-19 third wave WHO says Africa stabilizes COVID-19 third wave WHO says Africa stabilizes COVID-19 third wave WHO says Africa stabilizes COVID-19 third wave.
and then