First Batch Of COVID 19 AstraZeneca Vaccines Arrive Nigeria

Nigeria has received its first batch of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, courtesy of the COVAX Facility, HumAngle has confirmed.

The country was expecting a delivery of about four million doses of the vaccine on Tuesday.

The delivery is part of the 16 million doses expected to be delivered to Africa’s most populous country over the coming months.

The shipment of vaccines arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly before noon on an Emirates airline flight.

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in Nigeria described the vaccines’ arrival as a step towards equitable distribution of doses worldwide.

“The 4 million doses procured through COVAX is a historic step toward our goal to ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally,” the organisation said.

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Monday launched the e-registration website to enable eligible Nigerians to register for the vaccine online.

The agency said that the country plans to vaccinate at least 70 per cent of Nigerians aged 18 and above in four phases over the next two years, beginning with priority groups and frontline healthcare workers.

As of March 1, Nigeria has recorded 156,017 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 133,904 discharged and 1,915 fatalities.