Nigeria will now get its first 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines in February, according to Dr. Faisal Shuaib, National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
The country was first expecting the first doses of the vaccines in January 2021, however the delivery date has now changed, Bloomberg reports.
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Two days ago, Shuaib said;
Nigeria is getting ready to receive the first 100,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the coming weeks. Today, I visited the National Strategic Cold Store alongside members of the media and discussed the preparations underway to ensure Nigeria is ready for the vaccine.
However, in an interview with Bloomberg, he disclosed that the vaccines would be procured through the Covax initiative backed by Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organisation and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
The first batch — enough for a maximum of 50,000 people, equivalent to about 0.00025% of Nigeria’s population — will be allocated to health-care professionals working in COVID-19 isolation centers and those supporting them, as well as the country’s senior political leaders, Shuaib said.
He said;
We are waiting for final confirmation from Covax on when the first doses will arrive. The most recent indication is they’re expected in February.
Shuaib said Nigeria has acquired three ultra-cold chain freezers to keep the Pfizer vaccines at the required temperature.
He expressed;
However, in the longer term, the government plans to invest in vaccines that are easier to store, such as those created by AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford.
When the vaccines arrive, health workers, top government officials and vulnerable people are to be given priority.
