By Asmau Ahmad
The Africa Center for Disease Control (AfricaCDC) has explained that the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine was chosen for the continent because ‘it is a single shot vaccine, with a long shelf-life and partly manufactured on the African continent.’
Africa CDC Representative, Dr Amadou Cheick Tidiane CISSÉ, who stated this, said as a single-shot vaccine, it is easier and cheaper to administer; in addition to having a long shelf-life and favourable storage conditions.
“Last, but not least, the vaccine is partly manufactured on the African continent, with fill-finish activities taking place in South Africa,” he explained.
Dr CISSÉ added that the vaccines would help save African lives and livelihoods and enable them to resume their contributions to the continent’s development agenda, especially given the fact that it is a single dose vaccine as against the AstraZeneca vaccine that requires a double dose.
“This vaccine acquisition and deployment is supported by an innovative partnership between the World Bank and the African Union to expedite access to vaccines throughout the continent.
“Today we are proud to see the vaccines arriving. It is a sign of hope that we will finally be able to close the vaccination gap between Africa and other parts of the world,” he said.
According to reports, the single dose Johnson &Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has been found to be highly effective in preventing severe illness and death from the Delta and Beta variants of the coronavirus, according to data from a clinical trial in South Africa.
Tidiane CISSÉ said that since the outbreak of the pandemic, which continues to devastate lives and livelihoods in Africa and globally, it had been clear that safe and efficacious vaccines were our only way out.
Nigeria on Thursday, took delivery of 177,600 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines, a tranche of the 29,850,000 doses that the Federal Government of Nigeria procured through the AU’s AVAT and the facility provided by Afreximbank.
Health Reporters gathered that the balance of the vaccine will subsequently be delivered in monthly batches.
