Two Million Vaccines Reserved For Second Jab, Says FG

Two million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have been reserved for the second dose in the first phase of vaccination, the Federal Government stated on Thursday.

It explained with 1,748,242 Nigerians vaccinated as of May 12, 2021, the percentage targeted with the first jab is 86.9 percent.

Noting the vaccination with the second dose of the vaccine has started, it urged persons who have received their first dose of the vaccine to ensure they check their vaccination cards to know when they are due for their second jab.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib, made these known during a virtual briefing organised by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC) on covid-19 response.

He said: “Vaccination is ongoing across all states. As of today 1,748,242 Nigerians have been vaccinated. This represents 86.9 percent of the number of Nigerians that have been targeted with the first those of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

“Due to the current increasing uncertainty in global vaccine supply which is facing our continents and most of the world, Nigeria’s Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) made a strategic choice to utilise our current covid-19 supply to administer double dose rather than single doses. This will ensure that every Nigerian who receives a vaccine from our present supply, receives their second dose before the recommended time span between doses passes, which is between 6 to 12 weeks.

“Administering these two doses of the vaccine within the recommended time frame is very important to ensure full inoculation benefits.

“This means that with the current supply, we will fully inoculate roughly 2 million Nigerians rather than partially inoculate 4 million Nigerians. We are removing an element of risk that is becoming too high.

“We have already started administering second doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. In addition to health workers, frontline workers aged 18 years and above, and persons aged 50 years and above are being advised to visit any designated vaccination site to receive their vaccine doses whether the first or the second dose

“We are also advising that people who have received their first dose should check their vaccination cards for the date of the second dose, and ensure that they receive their second dose to gain full protection against covid-19.”

Shuaib added: “Concerning the number of doses that are left in Nigeria, what we did in Nigeria was to actually divide the four million doses into two compartments.

“Just about 2 million Nigerians have gotten their vaccines, which is about 90 percent. But with the second doses, we are now beginning to vaccinate those people who already have the first dose, and have gone at least 6 weeks since they had the first doses.

“Approximately, we have around 2 million doses that we plan to give exactly the same people that have taken their first doses, bearing in mind that we have to give an interval of 6 weeks to 12 weeks to make sure that we get the greatest response for these vaccines.”