By Iyemah David
Nigeria has successfully met its ambitious target of fully vaccinating 70 per cent of its population against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Bassey Okposen, Director of Disease Control and Immunization at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), said this in an interview on Wednesday in Abuja.
Nigeria had a target of fully vaccinating 70 per cent of its eligible population by December 2022.
“The 70 per cent coverage with COVID-19 vaccines in all countries is a global imperative. In Nigeria, 70 per cent of eligible persons in Nigeria are fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” he said.
He said that 80 per cent of eligible persons in the country were at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19 and 17.5 million fully vaccinated persons in Nigeria have received additional COVID-19 vaccines as booster doses.
He said that as of October 1, 132,212,099 vaccine doses have been administered in the country.
Dr Okposen said that six states have achieved 100 per cent of the target population vaccinated in the country.
“These states are Nasarawa, Jigawa, Osun, Kaduna, Kano and Adamawa,” he said.
He said that the milestone marks a crucial step in the country’s efforts to combat the ongoing pandemic and safeguard the health and well-being of its citizens.
“With an unwavering commitment to public health, Nigeria’s vaccination campaign has surpassed expectations, demonstrating the nation’s determination to control the spread of the virus and protect its population from the devastating impacts of COVID-19,” he said.
He said that vaccinating 70 per cent of a country’s population against COVID-19 means that a significant portion of the population has received the required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
He said that by vaccinating 70 per cent of the population against COVID-19, a country greatly reduces the risk of widespread transmission, severe illness, and death caused by the virus.
“It also helps to alleviate the burden on healthcare systems and allows for a gradual return to normalcy, including the reopening of businesses, schools, and other public spaces.
“However, it is important to note that achieving a 70 per cent vaccination rate does not mean the end of the pandemic.
“The virus can still circulate among unvaccinated individuals, and new variants may emerge, requiring ongoing monitoring and potential updates to vaccination strategies,” he said.
He, however, urged Nigerians to continue adherence to public health measures, such as wearing masks, for those with Co mobilities, practising good hygiene, and maintaining social distancing, which remains crucial even with high vaccination rates in the country.
Speaking on strategies being used by the country, he explained that several strategies including Service delivery, Communication, Accountability, Logistics, Electronic management of immunization data and supportive Supervision (SCALES 3.0), integration of COVID-19 into routine immunization, have been employed to deliver the vaccine to target populations.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), official website as of Oct. 31, 2023, over 5,708,974 samples have been tested, 266,675 cases have been confirmed, and 259,953 cases have been discharged from the virus.
