Nigeria Received Over 9 million COVID-19 Vaccine In 6 Months

Between March and August, Nigeria has received a total of 9,916,320 doses of Covid-19 vaccines, Twentyten Daily tracked.

Within this period, Nigeria received four types of vaccine; Oxford-AstraZeneca, Mordena Vaccine, Johnson and Johnson and Covishield COVID-19 Vaccine.

A total of 5,338,640 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was given within the period; 4,000,080 Morderna doses; 177,600 doses of Johnson and Johnsons while 100,000 doses of Covishield vaccine.

Oxford-AstraZeneca

On March 2nd, Nigeria received 3.94 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Assess Facility, COVAX.  This made the country the third African nation to benefit from the COVAX facility after Ghana and Ivory Coast.

COVAX, an initiative co-led by the vaccine alliance, GAVI and the World Health Organisation, aims to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines by dividing about two billion doses across 92 low and middle-income countries.

Also, the government disclosed that it has  received additional 698,880 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against the rampaging coronavirus pandemic on August 16.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency , Faisal Shuaib, disclosed this during the flag-off of the second phase of vaccination against the pandemic in the country.

Nigeria has received 300,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines from telecom giant, MTN.

The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, while speaking at its weekly briefing, said, “This is acknowledged with thanks as we encourage other partners to contribute towards the fight against COVID-19.”

Nigeria also unveiled 699,760 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine donated by the UK government via the COVAX facility.

The Acting British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Atkinson, joined the Executive Director of the NPHCDA and the World Health Organisation Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo for the unveiling, alongside other dignitaries.

Mordena Vaccine

The Nigerian government received four million and eighty doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine donated by the Biden-Harris administration of the United States of America.

The vaccines were delivered through the COVAX facility – a vaccine alliance aimed at ensuring equitable distribution of vaccines globally.

The vaccines were received and stored at the country’s National Strategic Cold Store near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

Johnson and Johnson

The Nigerian government received 177,600 doses of Johnson and Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccines from the African Union (AU).

This came barely one week after Nigeria received about 4 million doses of Moderna vaccines, which were donated by the government of the United States of America.

The vaccines, according to Shuaib, were delivered to the country through the African Vaccine Acquisition Task (AVAT), which he said Nigeria has since subscribed to.

He said; “Nigeria took delivery of 177,600 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines, being part of the 29,850,000 doses that the Federal Government of Nigeria procured through the AVAT of the AU Commission through the facility provided by African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK).

“The balance of the vaccine will subsequently be delivered in monthly tranches.”

Covishield COVID-19 Vaccine

On April 6, the government received 100,000 doses of Covishield COVID-19 vaccines from India. According to Mustapha, this will boost the number of Nigerians to be vaccinated by about 50,000.

Vaccination Progress in Nigeria

Nigeria began its first phase of  vaccination exercise in the early week of April and ended it in July.

The NPHCDA boss said Nigeria had successfully vaccinated 3,938,945 eligible people across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, representing 98 percent utilisation of the 4,024,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.

Shuaib said “this comprises 2,534,205 people who have been vaccinated for the first dose, and 1,404,205 who received the second dose of the vaccine.

“In the course of this exercise, the country recorded 14,550 cases of mild/moderate Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI), with 148 cases considered to be severe. However, we did not record any case of death associated with COVID-19 vaccination.”

The second phase of vaccination commenced August 18, 2021. 

With over 9 million doses received, Nigeria, according to Our world in data, Nigeria has given out 5.18 million doses. 

It has, however , fully vaccinated  1.58 million people, translating to 0.8 percent of its population.

However, the Nigerian government said its plans to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for all federal civil servants. 

This according to them is sequential as the vaccines available are not sufficient for citizens. 

However, the goal is to have enough vaccines for 70 percent of Nigeria’s 200 million people by 2022,  Mustapha said.

Kehinde Ogunyale

Reporting on the data-driven economy, and investigations.

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