COVID-19: FG Announces Population of Nigerians to Receive Single Shot of Vaccine
- Nigerians in hard-to-reach areas across the country would be receiving a single shot of the Johnson&Johnson vaccine
- The National Primary Health Care Development Agency said the first dose of the J&J vaccine would be received on Wednesday, August 11
- NPHCDA said the country would adopt the whole family approach to ensure every Nigerian is vaccinated
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On Tuesday, August 10, the federal government announced that a population of Nigerians would be eligible to receive a single shot of the Johnson&Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, said that the initial dose of the vaccine would be received into the country on Wednesday, August 11, and it would be focused on Nigerians living in hard-to-reach areas.
Source: Facebook
A New Approach To Ensure All Nigerians Are Vaccinated
Shuaib said the country adopting the “the whole family approach” to integrate the COVID-19 vaccination in childhood vaccination among others.
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He said most brands of COVID-19 vaccine require two doses of varying intervals between the doses for full protection.
While the Moderna vaccine is two doses, four weeks apart; Oxford AstraZeneca is two doses and six to 12 weeks apart; and Pfizer is two doses, three weeks apart.
He, however, noted that brands such as Johnson&Johnson which would be received on Wednesday, August 11, into the country require a single dose for protection against COVID-19.
Shuaib said:
"The initial dose that we will be receiving will be focused on those who are in the hard-to-reach areas (riverine areas, desert areas) and the elderly because they are people who may find it difficult to leave their homes to the health facility for a 2nd dose vaccine."
He also reiterated that anyone who is 18 years and above is eligible to receive Moderna or any other brand of COVID-19 vaccine available.
Warning against the mixing of different brands of the vaccines for an individual, Shuaib said FG would take delivery of additional AstraZeneca vaccine and those who are due for a second dose of the vaccine will be prioritized.
Ensure Your Neighbours and Loved Ones Are Vaccinated
Shuaib further encouraged Nigerians to ensure that their loved ones, friends, and colleagues get vaccinated
He said:
"Because for us to stop this pandemic, we need a critical herd immunity that can only be approached when we reach at least 70 per cent herd immunity."
He said the vaccination campaign is not just the responsibility of the public health experts but all Nigerians to join and ensure the continued use of facemasks and physical distancing.
Shuaib added:
"We have received 4,000,080 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine donated by the government of the United States, and we will be receiving 176,000 doses of Johnson&Johnson vaccines tomorrow Wednesday, August 11."
"These 176,000 doses as you are aware, are coming out of the 29,850,000 doses that the federal government procured from the AFREXIM Bank through the African Union."
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the NPHCDA said that about 4.8 million doses of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines will arrive on Monday, August 2.
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Shuaib said the Nigerian government will take delivery of the serum which is a donation from the United States government.
He said delivery will be the largest vaccine received since the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign began back in March.
Also, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has listed the various features of the Delta variant of COVID-19.
The NCDC said the Delta variant of the virus disease was confirmed in the country a few weeks ago.
Source: Legit.ng
