Nigeria’s federal government announced yesterday that over 21 million eligible individuals have received full COVID-19 vaccination.
Dr. Faisal Shuaib, the National Primary HealthCare Development’s (NPHCDA executive director) made the announcement at a ministerial briefing hosted by the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja saying, “The data available as at June 19, 2022, a total of 21, 236,404 (19.05%) of the 11,776,503 qualified citizens have received their full vaccine shots. However, 28,426,564 (25.4%) got only one shot.”
Standing in for Dr. Shuaib at the briefing was Dr. Abdullahi Bulama Garba. He noted that the country was still a long-shot from hitting the 70% qualified population vaccination.
Thus, he recommended more aggressive plans to reach herd immunity against the virus in the country. According to Shuaib, one of the steps the agency is taking to hit the target was introducing the idea of mass vaccination campaign all over the nation. This idea is also backed by another plan to merge COVID-19 vaccination with other routine vaccinations.
Another huge plan was, “the inclusion of all tertiary, secondary, and primary health structures as well as private and public firms and a few private medical establishments in the vaccination posts expansion plan. We now have group vaccination locations in religious buildings, markets, motor parks, stadium, trained pharmacy stores, and shopping malls.”
Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, the country’s NCDC Director-General also gave an update regarding the state of the coronavirus in the country. He outlined steps the center is taking to prevent the resurgence of the disease.
On the state of monkeypox infection in the nation, the NCDC DG mentioned that there are now 41 verified infections and 1 mortality as of 19th June 2022.
The DG further said that among the verified infections, “there is no proof of novel or rare transmission route or alterations in the symptoms in comparison to what is happening among the infected people in other parts of the world.”
The DG hinted that there were at least 2,103 verified monkeypox infections around the world from the 1st day of the year to 15th June 2022.
He explained that with the beginning of the Hajj Pilgrimage on 9th June, the NCDC is working with Port Health Services to enforce total regulation compliance among pilgrims.
“We are enhancing our COVID-19 screening capability and introducing new labs to the already available network.”
“We are also collaborating with the NYSC camps to reduce infection threat as they reopen,” he stated.
According to Adetifa, the NCDC has been in discussions in present weeks regarding monkeypox and pressing for renaming and reducing stigmatization of sick people.
“Global account shows the disease is higher among men from 0 to 65 years and those that are same-sex intercourse,” he stated.
Adetifa also disclosed that the NCDC is working with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom (NVRI) to carry out animal monitoring in Adamawa State for the possibility of rodents spreading the virus.
Twitter: Over 21 million eligible Nigerians have received full COVID-19 vaccinations according the country’s minister of health.