By Asmau Ahmad
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has disclosed that so far 2, 897, 201 eligible persons had taken the jab across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, disclosed this on Tuesday, in Abuja, at the National Vaccines briefing.
According to reports, only 2, 897, 201 million people in Nigeria have received their complete dose of the coronavirus vaccine as at August 30, 2021, a far cry from the federal government’s goal of inoculating 70 percent of its citizens by the end of 2022.
The country, which now has three COVID-19 vaccines that had been approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO), has commenced its phase two vaccination in 35 states and the FCT, according to Shuaib.
“For clients who have not had any vaccination, the Moderna Vaccine is available and is being administered currently in all designated health facilities in the country, while those who have had their first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine are encouraged to visit their designated health facility to get their second dose,” he said.
The NPHCDA boss disclosed that the United Kingdom government had generously donated an additional 592,880 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, which was received on August 26, 2021, through the COVAX Facility.
“The total quantity of vaccines donated by the UK Government stands at 1,292,640 doses. The additional doses would be included in the second dose vaccination exercise currently ongoing for clients, who have already taken the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the first phase.
“Therefore, I use this opportunity to once again call on those who received the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine before July 8, 2021, to go and get their second dose, to be fully protected against all strains of the Corona virus,” he added.
He called on governors to continue to provide leadership in the mobilization of citizens to prioritize the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr Shuaib stated that Nigeria and the rest of the world needed to end the pandemic, recover from its economic adversities and return to normalcy.
“However, getting this would be difficult if we do not face the issues of misinformation and disinformation squarely,” he added.
The NPHCDA boss also reiterated that vaccines were reliable and proven tools for prevention and control of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19.
Shuaib disclosed that the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) and the Federal Ministry of Health were exploring ways of making vaccines more readily available to all Nigerians, including Federal Civil Servants and Corporate entities.
