The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has disclosed that so far 2,897,201 eligible persons had taken the jab across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, disclosed this on Tuesday, in Abuja, at the National Vaccines briefing.
The figure of those who have received their complete dose of the coronavirus vaccine as at August 30, 2021 is a far cry from the federal government’s goal of inoculating 70 per cent of its citizens by the end of 2022.
The country, which now has three COVID-19 vaccines that had been approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO), has commenced its phase 2 vaccination in 35 states and the FCT, according to Shuaib.
“For clients who have not had any vaccination, the Moderna Vaccine is available and is being administered currently in all designated health facilities in the country, while those who have had their first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine are encouraged to visit their designated health facility to get their second dose,” he said.
The NPHCDA boss disclosed that the UK government had generously donated an additional 592,880 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, which was received on August 26, 2021, through the COVAX Facility.
“The total quantity of vaccines donated by the UK Government stands at 1,292,640 doses. The additional doses would be included in the second dose vaccination exercise currently ongoing for clients, who have already taken the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the first phase,” he said.
Shuaib stated that Nigeria and the rest of the world needed to end the pandemic, recover from its economic adversities and return to normalcy.
However, getting this would be difficult if we do not face the issues of misinformation and disinformation squarely, he added.
The NPHCDA boss also reiterated that vaccines were reliable and proven tools for prevention and control of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19.
“A vaccine works by stimulating the immune system, to induce immune cells and proteins, called antibodies, that confer immunity or protection against a disease.
“The mRNA technology used to develop the new coronavirus vaccines has been in development for almost two decades.
“Scientists developed the technology to help respond quickly to pandemics, such as COVID-19. It is therefore ridiculous when the anti-vaccination campaigners claim that COVID-19 alters the human DNA or that people will die in two weeks or two years after vaccination.
“Similar claims that polio vaccines were intended to cause infertility and kill our children, were made in the past but today, many of the children who received polio vaccine have grown to adulthood, become parents and are fulfilling their various dreams.
“No child in the country died of polio vaccination. It is, therefore, critically important for us all to always seek correct and accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines from reliable sources, so that we can be rightly guided to dispel fake news and misinformation from individuals or groups driven by mischief,” he added.
He stated that the agency would continue to work closely with all states, to optimize logistics for the full take-off of the phase 2 vaccination exercise, in order to ensure maximum utilization of available vaccines in Nigeria.
“Let me again remind us that the ‘whole of family approach’ in this phase of vaccination exercise gives all children aged 0 to 12 months the opportunity to receive childhood vaccination and get screened for malnutrition while adults aged 40 years and above can check their blood pressure and know their diabetes risk status, among others,” he said.
Shuaib disclosed that the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) and the Federal Ministry of Health were exploring ways of making vaccines more readily available to all Nigerians.
“Once these vaccines are made equitably available to all Nigerians, then we would need to have a frank discussion about justice, fairness and liberty that exists around vaccine hesitancy.
“If some individuals refuse to take the vaccine, hence endangering those who have or those who could not due to medical exemptions, then we have to apply the basic rule of law which stipulates that your human right stops where mine begins.
“So, you have a right to refuse vaccines, but you do not have the right to endanger the health of others,” he said.
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