Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
The federal government has disclosed that a total of 5,770,899 persons have been vaccinated so far in the country against COVID-19.
Speaking at the ministerial press briefing on the updates on COVID-19 and cholera outbreaks, representative of the Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Abdullahi Garba said: “As at Monday morning, November 8, the agency and its partners at the national and state levels have vaccinated 5,770,899 with the first dose of the COVID19 vaccine out of which 3,146,885 people have received their second COVID-19 vaccine jab.”
He pointed out that the single digit number of vaccinated population was not going to help the country realise the herds immunity required to eradicate COVID-19 pandemic.
Garba further said: “We have realised that one of the reasons for this slow coverage was the few number of vaccination sites in the first phase which provided only two vaccination sites per a local government area. I am pleased to inform you now that the Federal government has made adequate arrangement that guarantee enough vaccines to cover more eligible Nigerians.”
He also said in addition to vaccines donated to the country through the COVAX facility, the federal government has procured about 30 million doses of Johnson and Johnson vaccine using domestic resources.
According to him, about eight million doses of vaccines are presently being distributed across the country under the second phase of the vaccination exercise in the country
Also speaking at the briefing moderated by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Mrs. Lois Ilori, who represented the Director General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic situation globally over 248 million confirmed cases and over five million deaths had been recorded with more than seven billion vaccines doses administered across the world.
Louis said: “As at today Nigeria has confirmed over 212,000 cases of COVID19 and recorded almost 3000 deaths from the disease.”
She said the pandemic has continued to play out differently across countries worldwide. Notably African have seen severe cases and deaths despite limitations of testing has experienced similar transmission of SARS Cov- 2 virus in its population.
“Regardless of the differing pattern of disease and death seen, the risk of the emergency of SARS Cov- 2 variance capable of invading human immune response is of global concern.
“The delta varient remains the dominate variant globally. South Korea has been achieving population vaccination mandate.”
