Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), has said Nigeria is set to receive about 29.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
Shuaib disclosed this at the weekly media briefing of the COVID-19 Presidential Steering Committee in Abuja on Monday.
According to him, the Federal Government signed off to receive the vaccines through the African Union (AU), noting that the vaccine deliveries through the COVAX facility are expected by the end of May or early June.
The NPHCDA boss noted that by then, Nigeria would have completed the process of administering the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to those who got the first dose.
He said: “Furthermore, the Federal Government has signed off to receive up to 29.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine through the African Union (AU). We are also expecting deliveries of vaccines through the COVAX facility by the end of May or early June 2021.
“By this time, we would have completed the process of administering the second doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to those who got the first dose. In the meantime, NAFDAC is continuing discussions with manufacturers and examining their vaccines, in anticipation of Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organisation.”
Shuaib revealed that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has continued discussions with manufacturers to examine their vaccines, in anticipation of emergency use listing from the World Health Organisation.
He explained that this was to mitigate the negative concerns about the delayed deliveries of AstraZeneca vaccines, thereby ensuring the sustained supply of vaccines for the smooth continuation of the exercise.
He, however, decried the global scarcity of COVID-19 vaccines due to high demand, especially in countries where the vaccines were being produced.
