COVID-19: Frontline health workers will be the first beneficiaries of expected vaccines

By Joseph Erunke

As Nigeria expects to receive around four million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, authorities have said frontline health workers will be the primary beneficiaries of the vaccines.

A joint statement, released on Sunday by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, the World Health Organization, WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said: “The country plans to vaccinate at least 70% of eligible Nigerians aged 18. years and over in four phases over two years. “

Nigeria is expected to receive 3.92 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, March 2, 2021.

The delivery will mark the first arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine in the country and will make Nigeria the next West African country to benefit from the COVAX Facility after Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

“The arrival of the vaccine will be enable the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to begin immunizing Nigerians in priority groups, starting with frontline health workers, ”the statement said.

“The arrival of this vaccine is the result of the commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of His Excellency President Muhammandu Buhari, the support of the Presidential Working Group on COVID-19 and the advice of the Honorable Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, ”said Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director and CEO of NPHCDA.

“We are fully prepared to receive and deliver the vaccine to eligible Nigerians as we have started training health workers and ensured cold chain facilities are ready at all levels.

“We have a robust cold chain system that can store all types of COVID-19 vaccine at the required temperature. We are therefore confident that we will have a very effective deployment of the vaccine, starting with our critical health workers, who are on the front line to provide the care we all need, ”added Dr Shuaib.

The statement reads further: “The delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine is part of a total of 16 million doses that are expected to be delivered to Nigeria in batches over the next few months by the COVAX Facility, as part of a global effort. unprecedented to ensure equitable access to COVID -19 vaccines.

“The COVAX Center is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), with UNICEF being a key implementing partner.

“The COVAX Center has worked very hard to ensure that Nigeria receives the vaccine as soon as possible so that it can launch its vaccination program among the largest population in Africa,” said Peter Hawkins, representative of Africa. UNICEF in Nigeria.

“Vaccines are an essential tool in the fight against COVID-19. In the meantime, Nigerians must continue to take measures to contain the virus, as the vaccination program will take at least a year before it is fully effective, ”said Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO representative in Nigeria.

“The country plans to vaccinate at least 70% of eligible Nigerians aged 18 and over in four phases within two years.”

Vanguard News Nigeria

Related