FG sees Infrastructure, logistics as key impediment to Covid-19 vaccine deployment

Needed infrastructure for logistics and storage of the much awaited Covid-19 vaccine could pose a huge problem for Nigeria as the global community readies to receive the one recently developed by the global pharmaceutical giants, Pfizer.

The Director General of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC Chike Ihekweazu, while responding to question on the country’s preparedness to receive the Vaccine said to be 90% successful on human trials, lamented that the country lack facilities to store the vaccine at -80 degrees.

Speaking during the PTF briefing on Friday, he said “We are also working on the vaccine acceptability so that there is no hesitancy around acceptance. we are working in ensuring peoples confidence in its protection.

Ihekweazu who noted that the country “ don’t know which vaccine it will go with” however, noted that the country’s power infrastructure may not support the storage requirements at -80 degree.
“We have issues of logistics, we don’t know which vaccine we would be going with. The one available at the moment will require storage of -80 degree freezers.

According to the NCDC boss “just the fund we pay to AEDC to keep the refrigerator powered is just an example of the challenging logistics and infrastructures involved

The Chairman of the PTF COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, while reiterating that 20% of the vaccine will go to the vulnerable countries, added that “you and I don’t fall into the category .

“It means that you have a long wait. For me i already have the vaccine and the vaccine is to wear my mask and maintain social distancing and avoid congregating a large crowd.”

“Let me use what I have now as I await the arrival of the vaccine and that has been my message all these months. Let us use what we have. If the the desire is to wait for the vaccine and for that reason we let our guard down, with what is happening in the world, we might not be able to get to the point where the vaccine will catch up with us.

“So the most important message for us especially in these clime where we have to wait for the vaccine to be available and when those with the resource have gotten a certain proportion.

“I have watched the body language of the people that are advancing the course of the vaccine, probably in the next one year they will be able to produce vaccine that will cover a population of about 1.5 billion people, right now the world population is over 7 billion.

Mustapha reiterated that “the process of the distribution, when I heard that you have to get a refrigerator that operates under -80 degrees, that itself logistically is a major constraint”

“We had vaccines in some of the warehouses that the hoodlums broke into and took the vaccine not knowing what they are meant for.

“So we have an infrastructure that even the distribution of this vaccine will be a major challenge for us . For crying out loud, we already have what we can do , what we can use to protect ourselves and our love ones.
“As inconvenient as it has been, self preservation is very important and as we go into the season of festivities we must be very mindful of this”

But speaking at the opening session of the virtual edition of the Paris Peace Forum, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo noted that one of Nigeria’s main priorities now is getting the COVID-19 vaccine and this is a matter of utmost concern to the Buhari administrations

Osibanjo stated that the country had as part of the post COVID-19 era included improved healthcare and the economy, as part of its priority to keep the virus under control.

“While our guards are still firmly in place, getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a matter of utmost concern.”, Osinbajo had noted.

According to him, “On this, we are encouraged by the efforts of WHO and other international agencies working to ensure that vaccine delivery will be equitable across all countries, regardless of the priority of orders and ability to pay.”

He also the importance of prioritizing interventions and investments in the healthcare system, the Vice President said “we are encouraging private investment to upscale our health sector, with emphasis on improved facilities and affordable universal healthcare.”

While appreciating leaders across the world for their prompt response and cooperation in controlling the spread of the COVID-19, Prof. Osinbajo said “the sheer scale of disruptions to our lives and livelihoods caused by COVID-19 certainly caught us all by surprise.”

Restating the call for debt relief for developing countries, the Vice President said “the pandemic underscores the need for adequate financial buffers to cope with the ‘black swan’ events. For many developing countries, the debt burden makes this all but impossible.”

Osinbajo noted “we call for debt relief for these countries, and the extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) at least until the end of 2021 as well as commercial debt relief where needed.”

The Vice President had in previous international forums earlier in the year made a case for debt relief for developing countries, noting that “the Debt Servicing Support Initiative of the G20 is welcome and will no doubt bring some relief to relevant African countries. However, it remains inadequate because it does not address the problem of commercial debt service obligations.”

He assured that Nigeria stands with all countries of the world, in the effort to eradicate the virus, and leverage experiences for a healthier and more prosperous world.

The Paris Peace Forum is an annual event that features leaders and actors from civil society around the world with a focus on challenges facing the world – climate change, terrorism, migration, cyber insecurity, and global governance issues among others.