The first batch of the expected COVAX Astrazeneca/Oxford vaccines has just arrived in Nigeria. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency made the announcement on its official Twitter handle on Tuesday, where it was revealed that the 3.92 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India coronavirus vaccine landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, March 2, 2021. Some Officials of the government and Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 were present at the airport to receive the vaccines. They include; the Chairman of the Boss Mustapha, the DG of the NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib, the Minister for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, and the DG of the Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control, NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu.
Nigeria is the third West African country to receive COVAX shots, after Ghana and Ivory Coast, which have both started vaccination inoculation program under the international COVAX scheme.
COVAX, led by the vaccine alliance Gavi, and the World Health Organization, with UNICEF as an implementing partner, aims to deliver nearly 2 billion doses around the world by the end of 2021.
COVAX projects that it will deliver 2.3 billion doses by the end of 2021, most of which will go to poorer countries, free of charge.
