Nigeria is to receive One Hundred thousand doses of WHO approved “Pfizer-made” COVID-19 Vaccine at the end of this month.
The Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency-NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib stated this at the press briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja.
According to him, the vaccine was procured through the Global Alliance Vaccine Initiative-GAVI, for emergency use authorization which will be received by Nigeria at the end of this January.
“In the first phase through the COVAX facility, we expect to receive approximately a hundred thousand doses of the Pfizer biotech vaccine by the end of January. In the second phase also through the COVAX facility, Nigeria is expected to secure free delivery of Forty-Two million doses of vaccines which will be a combination of all the available and approved vaccines currently in the market. This is expected to cover about twenty percent of the population.”
He also explained that the stages of the vaccine roll-out for the eradication of the virus in the country.
“In other to achieve the eradication of COVID-19 in Nigeria, we need to cover 70% of the total population with COVID-19 vaccines. 40% will be vaccinated in 2021, while 30% will be covered next year. Priority will be given to Frontline Health workers, first responders, strategic country leadership, the elderly and those with core mobidity.”
The NPHCDA gave an assurance that the Vaccines are safe and approved for use by health bodies.
Dr Shuaib also said the agency is already dialoguing with Traditional rulers, Religious leaders and other relevant stakeholders to ensure acceptability of the vaccine by citizens.
RN
