Nigeria receives first batch of COVID-19 vaccine, set for immunisation

*The Federal Government of Nigeria has received four million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine, and notes that once these and vaccines arrive in the country, about 70 percent of Nigerians are expected to be inoculated within a two-year period

*The deployment of vaccines to the states and local government areas will be based on the assessment of their level of preparedness, says Faisal Shuaibu, Executive Director of NPHCDA

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

After much expectation of the vaccine shots for immunisation against the damaging Coronavirus disease, Nigeria finally, has received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines.

ConsumerConnect reports four million doses of the NAFDAC-approved Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, in Abuja, FCT, before 12 noon Tuesday, March 1, 2021, through Emirates Airlines aircraft.

Mr. Bashir Ahmad, a presidential aide also confirmed this in a tweet Tuesday via his official Twitter handle that the drugs came into the country through the Abuja Airport at about 11:46a.m.

Ahamd disclosed that “the first batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines has arrived Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.”

Who took delivery of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine at Abuja Airport?

The country’s top government officials, including Mr. Boss Mustapha, Chairman of Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Honourable Minister for Health; Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Honourable Minister for Information and Culture; and Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) were all on the ground at the airport to take delivery of the vaccine consignment.

Recall that Mr. Mustapha, last Saturday has announced that Nigeria would receive its first tranche of about 4 million doses of the NAFDAC-approved AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in the country.

Likewise, the Health Minister last week had noted that once the vaccines arrive in the country, about 70 percent of the Nigerian population are expected to be inoculated within a two-year period.

Ehanire stated: “We have been told to open an account with AfreximBank under the African Union; we have done that already successfully because we are going to pay for that part of the vaccine.

“The COVAX vaccine is free, at no cost to us, it is made from donations.”

“We want to immunise about 60 to 70 percent of our population. If COVAX immunises 20, then we have about 40 to 50 to immunise within the next two years.

Earlier, Ghana became the first country to receive vaccines from COVAX, a global facility to procure and distribute COVID inoculations for free for poorer countries.

The categories of Nigerians first to take COVID-19 vaccine shots

Regarding the modality for administering the vaccine shots to eligible Nigerians, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Monday, March 1 announced that the citizenry could then register for the COVID-19 vaccination via its Web site.

The NPHCDA in a tweet stated: “To register for #COVID19 Vaccination, visit our website http://nphcda.gov.ng and click on ‘COVID-19 Vaccination e-registration.”

Dr. Faisal Shuaibu, Executive Director of NPHCDA, at the launching of TEACH strategy for the COVID-19 vaccine introduction in Nigeria, Tuesday in Abuja, stressed that in the first phase of the vaccination, healthcare workers, frontline workers, including the military, police, oil and gas workers, Nigerians at the border posts, and strategic leaders among others will be prioritised.

Shuaib said: “We have provided an e-registration link to enable Nigerians to register for the COVID-19 vaccine themselves, obtain their pre-vaccination numbers and schedule their preferred date and time for vaccination.

Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, Honourable Minister of State for Health, had earlier explained that frontline healthcare workers would be one of the first set of people to get the vaccine in the country.

The Minister also said: “The first will be the frontline health workers because they are facing the battle heavily.

“They will come first then, secondly, we will look at the elderly – those above 60, 65 years and particularly with comorbidities (people who have existing health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease – they will also be in that group.”

Mamora further stated: “We will also be looking and the strategic leadership of the country, and then we would be looking at some other people like those at the point of entry, border post managers, and things like that.

“This will be the order in terms of priority for now.”

Involvement of states and other sub-national units in vaccination process

However, in respect of the deployment of the vaccine doses for immunisation across the country, the NPHCDA Chief noted that “deployment of vaccines to the states will be based on the assessment of their level of preparedness.

“Some of the parameters that will be used for the assessment, include adequate maintenance of cold chain storage facilities, adequate operation for logistics transportation to the ward and health facilities, adequate security in place during transportation and at the vaccination site.”

Others, according to him, are “completion of training of health workers, efficient social mobilisation activities in place, and adherence to protocol for vaccine deployment.

“Working with CACOVID, the private sector has made plans to transport the vaccines to the states by air.

“States without a functional airport will have their vaccines transported by road using vans fitted with cold chain cabins from the nearest airport in their states.”

Dr. Shuaibu stated: “The vaccines will be stored at the state cold store from where they will be transported by road to LGA cold stores.

“All of these cold stores will have security details to protect these valuable national assets.

“Once activities are commenced in the states, there will be strict monitoring by the Presidential Task Force, the Federal Ministry of Health, NCDC, NPHCDA, independent bodies, such as the EFCC, DSS, ICPC and Civil Society Organisations, along with all the relevant line ministries.

He added that states’ health facility and health workers that are identified as defaulting from the standard protocol and guidelines for this phase one of this vaccination would be sanctioned accordingly.

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