Nigeria Expects Next Batch of Covid Vaccines By September

Dr. Faisal Shuaib

Nigeria’s federal government has expressed hope that the country may receive more consignments of Covax-brokered Covid-19 vaccines between July and September.

Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib, disclosed this Tuesday during a press conference in Abuja.

He also said 73,465 Nigerians had received their second dose of the Astrazeneca vaccine across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He said President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, received their second dose last Saturday.

While giving update on the vaccine rollout and efforts to secure more supplies of COVID-19 vaccines, Shuaib said the government had received information that the Covax vaccine consignment might be due in Nigeria as from September.

“On the global vaccine supply and anticipated next consignment, the Covax facility has communicated that the upcoming allocation is likely from July or September 2021.

“The exact dates are still being finalised. Nevertheless, bilateral conversations are ongoing to see how we can access the surplus vaccines being stockpiled by developed countries,” he said.

He stated that the federal government was collaborating with 33 embassies and high commissions in Nigeria on how to secure more supplies of COVID-19 vaccines.

He added that the federal Ministry of Health was working with critical stakeholders to fast-track the establishment of local vaccine production plants in Nigeria so as to provide alternative supply of vaccines.

On the state of vaccination in the country, he said 73,465 Nigerians had so far received their second dose.

Shuaib said Buhari and Osinbajo did their second doses on Saturday, May 29.

Similarly, he said many state governors, members of the legislature, traditional and religious leaders had publicly started taking the second dose of their vaccinations.

Speaking on the reports of adverse effects of the vaccine, Shuaib said there had been cases of mild, moderate and severe Adverse Events Following Immunisations (AEFIs) since the rolled out of Covid-19 vaccination on March 15, 2021.

He added that the AEFls symptoms ranged from pain and swelling at site of vaccination to more serious symptoms such as headaches, abdominal pain, fever, dizziness and allergic reactions.

According to him, “a total of 10,027 cases of mild AEFI have been reported as of May 30, while 86 cases of moderate to severe incidents have been reported. All these individuals have since fully recovered”.

He stated that five states have the highest records of AEFI, namely: Cross River (1,040), Kaduna (1,071), Lagos (796), Yobe (555), and Kebbi with 525 cases.

The Country Director of WHO, Dr.Walter Molumbo, while giving an assessment of the success rate of the COVID-19 vaccine roll out, said that WHO considered Nigeria’s performance as among the best in Africa.

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja