Breaking: FG finally announces day for commencement of Second phase of COVID-19 vaccination

Breaking: FG finally announces day for commencement of Second phase of COVID-19 vaccination

The federal government has assured Nigerians that it would soon commence the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination

Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, made this known in Abuja on Monday, August 9, while featuring on a programme

Mohammed, who said the postponement was purely administrative, noted that the commencement of the second phase would start on August 16

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FCT, Abuja - The federal government has announced Monday, August 16, as the new date for the beginning of the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination in the country.

The Punch reports that the phase would see the country administering the Moderna vaccine doses donated by the United States.

FG announces August 16, for commencement of the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination.
Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, announced Monday, August 16. Credit: Lai Mohammed.
Source: Facebook

Legit.ng gathered that the minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed the new date on Monday, August 9, during a live programme in Abuja.

Mohammed explained that the postponement of the commencement from August 10 to August 16, was “purely administrative.”

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He said:

“We have received 4,800,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine and we will commence administering the doses on Monday, August 16. The exercise was supposed to commence tomorrow (Tuesday), August 10, but we suspended it till Monday, and the reason is purely administrative.
“When vaccines arrive the country, they are taken to National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The agency will analyze them and thereafter give us a green light for the use.”

The minister denied insinuations that the exercise was postponed indefinitely over concerns raised by some experts on the propriety of using the Moderna vaccine.

Lai Mohammed assures Nigerians of the new vaccine

He said, like the first batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine which had been fully administered without hitch, the doses of Moderna vaccine donated to the country by the US were “safe and meant to save lives.”

Channels TV also reports that the executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination programme would commence on August 16.

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The federal government had earlier scheduled the exercise to begin on Tuesday, but it was postponed due to “unforeseen circumstances."

Shuaib suggested the postponement had been necessary for preparations to be finalised.

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17 NYSC members hospitalised for COVID-19 infection in Edo state

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) confirmed that 17 corps members serving in Edo state are currently receiving treatment for COVID-19 related cases.

It was reported that the disclosure was made by the personal assistant to Edo state coordinator of the NYSC scheme, Ozeto Waheed.

Waheed stated that the youths were admitted to the Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin City for COVID-19 treatment.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
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Wale Akinola Wale Akinola is a passionate journalist and researcher. He is the Head of Desk, Politics and Current Arts, Legit.ng. He holds both B. A and Master’s degree in Communications and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan. He also holds a Diploma Certificate in Peace Journalism. He has over 15 years of work experience in both print and online media. You can reach him via +2348054137974 or wale.akinola@corp.legit.ng.