Over 8,000 Nigerians have been vaccinated against COVID-19 – Agency

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) on Monday disclosed that 8,000 Nigerians have been vaccinated against COVID-19 so far across 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), since vaccination was flagged off nearly two week ago.

Nigeria began vaccination on March 5, 2021, after it received nearly 4 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines from COVAX.

The executive director, NPHCDA, Faisal Shuaib, who stated this at the briefing by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 urged eligible Nigerians to continue to avail themselves for vaccination while reassuring that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines used in Nigeria are safe and effective.

He restated that no adverse effects have been recorded so far in the country.

The minister of health, Osagie Ehanire also speaking, said the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines have been deployed to all states, except Kogi state.

The minister said the state is yet to establish a fully functional cold chain facility in order to receive its allocation.

Ehanire however informed that the federal government is working with the state commissioner of health to meet the requirement.

He assured all states and local governments that the promised support fund for the process will be paid as soon as the formalities are compete.

“I urge all states to use existing resources so that there are no hitches in the exercise before the disbursement”, he urged.

Speaking further, Ehanire warned that private importation of COVID-19 vaccines have not been authorised due to reports of substandard fasified vaccines in circulation.

He restated that the deployment will be handled by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) or any of the agency’s accredited facilities for now.

Also speaking on the ongoing concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccines, the minister reassured that the vaccines are safe and no adverse effect has been recorded in the country.

“The president, vice president, other strategic leaders, frontline health workers have taken the vaccines and are all doing well”, he said.

The Minster also informed that the National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have developed a Health safety app to enable those who have been vaccinate report any adverse reaction.