By The Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, has disclosed that a total of 3.4 million doses of Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses have so far been utilised for the 1st and 2nd rounds.
Speaking at the national briefing of the COVID-19 Presidential Steering Committee on Monday, in Abuja, he said this figure constitutes approximately 88 per cent of the total COVID-19 vaccine stock in the country.
“A total of 4,024,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine were received by the Federal Government of Nigeria in March 2021,” he said.
He explained that 3.924 million came through the COVAX facility and another 100,000 doses from the Government of India.
“I am glad to inform you that 3.4 million doses have so far been utilised for the 1st and 2nd dose vaccinations, which is approximately 88 per cent of the total AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine stock in the country.
“As at (of) today, the breakdown of the number of people vaccinated and the vaccine consumption is as follows:
“2,265,805 people vaccinated with the first dose; 1,175,341 people vaccinated with the second dose and this means 88 per cent vaccine doses have been used.”
According to him, Nigeria, based on these data and comparative information from other countries, continues to have the highest vaccination rates in Africa with approximately 87,000 people being vaccinated daily.
“Egypt, South Africa, Ghana and Senegal each have a daily vaccination rates of 72,000, 52,600, 12,100 and 4,790 respectively.”
Shuiab noted that as of Monday, there was no vaccine, with the expiration date of June 28, that has not been utilised, which means that there is currently zero balance of such vaccines in the country.
He, however, added that the government was ordering a total of 29,850,000 Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine.
