The African Union (AU)has said it has secured nearly 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for distribution to its member states. Dr Nicaise Ndembi, the Senior Science Adviser for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed this on Wednesday, saying that the vaccines have been secured independently of the COVAX global effort to be distributed to low-income countries.

COVID-19: WHO Endorses Pfizer Vaccine For Immunization In Nigeria

The World Health Organization (WHO) has on Tuesday announced that it has authorized the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for Nigeria, ahead of the delivery of the vaccine to the country. This was announced by Dr. Walter Kaza Mulombo, the WHO Country Representative during the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 press briefing in Abuja, saying that the Pfizer vaccine which requires to be stored in -70 degrees Celsius has been approved for Nigeria by WHO and will be made available for emergency use. Also, the government has commenced talks with the Chinese government to make the COVAX vaccine accessible with Nigeria hoping to get about 42 million doses.

COVID-19 Vaccine: Nigerian Doctors Calls For Careful Review Before Administering It

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), a body of Nigerian Doctors has advised the Nigerian government to conduct an independent evaluation of the coronavirus vaccine before administering it to Nigerians. The President of the association, Prof. Innocent Ujah, stated this while having an interview with a Channel Television TV host on Monday, saying the evaluation has become necessary following the wake of conspiracy surrounding the vaccine as well as considering the genetic characteristic of the vaccine being a foreign-based.

COVID-19: FG May Impose Fresh Lockdown - PTF

The Federal Government has on Thursday said it will impose a fresh lockdown across the country if the rising COVID-19 cases persist, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, Sani Aliyu announced. Aliyu said this during the PTF daily press briefing in Abuja explaining that the rise in new COVID-19 infections was alarming and may require a fresh lockdown to curb the spread. “If these numbers continue to go up and we start having significant deaths, we will have no option. If we do not want to lock down, now is the time to make sure that we follow the non-pharmaceutical interventions,” the National Coordinator said.

NAFDAC Shuts Six Defaulting Pharmaceutical Firms

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has on Monday announced the shutting of six local manufacturers of pharmaceutical products for failure to meet minimum manufacturing practice. The Director-General, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye made this known in a statement in Abuja, saying the development was in line with the agency’s zero-tolerance for substandard products in Nigeria, adding that Nationwide surveillance on the activities of manufacturers was carried out which later revealed the defaulting firms.
“The current actions are to serve as deterrents to all local and foreign manufacturers who may not want to comply with basic GMP requirements and join the agency in its renewed campaign to rid the country of SF medicines.

Second Wave: FCT Shuts Bars, Parks, Restaurants For Five Weeks

Following the rising cases of coronavirus, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, has ordered that all bars, restaurants, leisure gardens, and event centres should be shut for five weeks.