FG Receives 699,760 Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccines

The Federal Government on Tuesday received 699,760 doses of the AstraZeneca Oxford COVlD-19 vaccines donated by the UK government through COVAX facility.

This follows the flag-off of the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination exercise in Nigeria.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care development, Faisal Shuaib who unveiled the vaccines at cold storage unit in Abuja, said that the vaccines would be deployed immediately to serve as second dose to Nigerians who had taken the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccines.

According to him, all vaccines certified by NAFDAC are highly effective against COVID-19 virus, including the Delta variant.

“This vaccine will be deployed immediately to the States and would be administered as second dose to those who had earlier received only the first dose of the vaccine during the first phase of the vaccination roll out.

“I therefore enjoin all those who have received AstraZeneca as first dose to visit the nearest vaccination site to receive the second dose to be assured of full protection,” he said.

Speaking further, Shuaib disclosed that the government also expects an additional 801,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines being donation from the Canadian Government to be made available for delivery by the end of August.

While stressing on the need for Nigerians to get vaccinated, he reiterated that WHO does not approve mixing of different brands of COVID-19 vaccine, stating that the same vaccine must be taken for both first and second dose.

The Acting British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Atkinson representing the UK government, said that the vaccines delivered to Nigeria are part of the three million doses that the UK donated to 11 countries across Africa to help the fight against COVlD-19.

The shipment of UK donated doses, according to her, is part of a broader pledge to share 100 million vaccines with the rest of the world, of which 80 percent will be through COVAX.

She said, “The UK continues to play a global role in promoting an effective roll-out of the vaccine, including as one of the largest COVAX donors and through its engagement with the Nigerian-led response.

“In Nigeria, the UK has restructured its health and human development programming to support the country’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

”The UK was one of the first countries to back COVAX with £548m. We have consistently pushed for a global effort that helps every country receive the vaccine against Covid-19. I am so pleased to see Nigeria receive 699, 760 doses, donated by the UK, in their second batch of the vaccine through CO VAX.

“This is the first tranche of the 1,299, 760 doses expected to be donated by the UK through COVAX, it is only by vaccinating more people around the world that we can bring an end to the global coronavirus pandemic.”