The Nigerian Government has received the first batch of the R21 malaria vaccines from Gavi, to scale up malaria vaccination in the country. The Minister of Health, Ali Pate, noted that the vaccines arrived as a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to eliminate malaria in the country. He said the vaccines would be distributed to states with the highest burden of the disease, particularly Kebbi and Bayelsa and would serve as a complement to other treatments for malaria. Pate added that the vaccine has proven to be safe and efficient for malaria treatment.
The Director General of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Muyi Aina, stated that an enforcement team would be set up by the agency for distributions, and the date for the administration of the vaccines would be communicated in due course.
Aina said more doses are expected in the coming months, as Nigeria targets about one million vaccines for the first batch.
The new R21 vaccine is developed by scientists at Oxford University and made by the Serum Institute of India and Novavax.
R21 is the second malaria vaccine to be recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) for children living in endemic areas.
