NO fewer than 60 million Nigerians of the target population for COVID-19 have been fully vaccinated, according to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
Dr. Adejoke Oladele of the NPHCDA revealed this on Friday, December 17, in Abuja, while presenting the COVID-19 milestones of the agency at the national evaluation meeting of achievements in COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria.
READ ALSO:
COVID-19: NPHCDA launches mass vaccination strategy, site finder
NAFDAC, NPHCDA destroy over one million expired COVID-19 vaccines in Abuja
Nigeria vaccinates over 4.9m against COVID-19 — NPHCDA
COVID-19: We have vaccinated 3.9m Nigerians – NPHCDA
According to her, the number represents over 54 per cent of the target population.
“In collaboration with the United State Government, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children’s Fund, other international and local partners, and non-governmental organisations, the Nigerian Government has strived to ensure COVID-19 vaccines, routine immunisation, and other PHC services reach every corner of the country to ensure all persons receive basic health care.
“To date, over 54 per cent of the target population has been fully vaccinated, translating to over 60 million persons,” she said.
Oladele further disclosed that 65 per cent of the target population have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, representing over 70 million Nigerians.
“In November 2020, with the guidance of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, the NPHCDA set up the COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy Group and Technical Working Groups comprising government officials, partners, and donors to drive the process of COVID-19 vaccination.
“The SG identified the target population for COVID-19 vaccination to be persons 18 years and above, which is 51.4 per cent of the population (111,776,503 persons). A national target of 70 per cent coverage was set for the end of the fourth quarter of 2022.”
She added that Nigeria received about four million doses of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX facility in March 2021, stating that the Centre administered the first dose of COVID -19 vaccine to health workers in the National Hospital, Abuja, on March 5, 2021.
“Since then, the country has received over 127.5 million doses of Oxford AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines as donations from friends of Nigeria, COVAX facility, and purchase by the Federal Government of Nigeria via the African Union’s African Vaccine Acquisition Trust.”
Oladele added that the United States’ vaccine donation to Nigeria currently stands at 32.6 million doses among other support.
The top five performing states in COVID-19 vaccination as of December 14 are Jigawa, Nasarawa, Osun, Kaduna, and Kano, according to NPHCDA.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M