By Haruna Gimba
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) said 513,626 persons have received the first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria.
The NPHCDA disclosed this via its official Twitter handle @NphcdaNG on Sunday.
Nigeria commenced vaccination on March 5, first with healthcare workers who are mostly at risk of infections, being the first responders.
The NPHCDA’s vaccine roll-out was in four phases, starting with health workers, frontline workers, COVID-19 rapid response team, laboratory network, policemen, petrol station workers and strategic leaders.
“Phase two has older adults aged 50 years and above, those with comorbidities, aged between 18 years and 49 years. The phase three has those in states and LGAs with high disease burden and who missed phases 1 and 2. While phase four has other eligible population as vaccines become available,” it said.
According to the agency, as of March 28, over 513,626 eligible people have been vaccinated in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The agency said that Kogi state is yet to commence vaccination as of March 28, because the state had not been supplied with the vaccines.
“Kogi State was not supplied with the vaccines because their cold chain store is still under repairs following vandalisation during the EndSARS protest,” it stated.
The NPHCDA stated Lagos State had vaccinated 110,042 people, making it the highest in the country.
It said Ogun followed with 47,507, Kaduna-38,063, Bauchi-32,482, Katsina-28,918 and Kwara-26,473.
NPHCDA also said that the states with the lowest number of those vaccinated are Abia-22, Taraba-111 and Kebbi-532,
Health Reporters recalls that Nigeria first received 3.94 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines and another 300,000 doses from telecom giant, MTN as part of its contribution to Africa.
The Nigerian government hopes to vaccinate 109 million people against the COVID-19 virus over a period of two years.
