Bukola Afeni
Editor
The Federal Ministry of Health is taking measures towards vaccine security, for which an 18 man national COVID-19 vaccine task team with seven Terms of Reference will be inaugurated.The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire made the disclosure at the Joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
Nigeria has recorded 66,383 COVID-19 cases from 743,298 samples tested so far, with 62,076 persons successfully treated, and discharged.
“The nation sadly has recorded 1167 deaths with a case fatality rate of 1.76%. Eight states accounted for 72 per cent of confirmed cases, because they were testing and reporting steadily. Out of the 1,235 confirmed cases reported in 22 states in the past week, Kaduna, Lagos, FCT, Oyo, Plateau and Ogun account for over 84 per cent.”
According to him, the Term of Reference will include generating strategies for acquisition, deployment, and options for licensed production of Biovaccine Nigeria Limited.
‘The Minister also warned Nigerians against travelling to high burden countries, especially due to increased risk of exposure to infection, especially of persons with known co-morbidities.
The Government is keeping vigilance, with regard to the exploding numbers of COVID-19 cases in Europe and America, by strengthening the capacity for treatment, and ensuring that health workers were kept updated”.
“The Government is also reviewing the entry protocols at the nation’s borders, to reduce risks of COVID-19 importation by sealing gaps in present protocol and responding to emerging threats.
The reported strange deaths in Delta, Enugu, Ebonyi, Benue, Bauchi, and Kogi States turned out to be Yellow Fever.
The Government would analyze report of isolation and treatment centers to identify gaps and challenges, the result of which would be used to address thematic areas like monitoring of isolation and treatment centers, logistics, data management, training and development and review of protocols and SOPs.”
