AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine arrives Nigeria as Canada, Germany warns against using it on old people
Nearly half of EU members did not allow the AstraZeneca vaccine to be given to over 65s.
AstraZeneca/Oxford coronavirus vaccine has arrived Nigeria.
It landed around noon at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport.
Almost four million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were shipped via the COVAX Facility, a partnership between CEPI, Gavi, UNICEF and WHO.
The vaccine was manufactured by the Serum Institute of India from Mumbai to Abuja.
The United Nations in Nigeria, in a statement, said the arrival marked a historic step towards the goal to ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally.
UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, said: “The UN Country Team in Nigeria reiterates its commitment to support the vaccination campaign in Nigeria and help contain the spread of the virus.
“The arrival of these vaccines in Abuja today marks a milestone for the COVAX Facility in its unprecedented effort to deliver at least 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines globally by the end of 2021.”
“This is a landmark moment for the country and the COVAX Facility’s mission to help end the acute phase of the pandemic by enabling equitable access to these vaccines across the world.
“We are glad to see Nigeria is amongst the first receiving the doses from COVAX, thanks to the excellent level of preparedness put in place by the Government of Nigeria,” said Thabani Maphosa, Managing Director for Country Programmes at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
“Gavi looks forward to these vaccines being made available to the people most at risk, as soon as possible, and to ensuring that routine immunization services for other life-threatening infections are also delivered to avoid other disease outbreaks.”
Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO Representative in Nigeria, added: “It is heart-warming to witness this epoch-making event and WHO wishes to congratulate the government of Nigeria for its participation in the global vaccine collaboration (COVAX) efforts and its commitment to protecting Nigerians against this pandemic.
“Vaccines are a critical new tool in the battle against COVID-19; therefore, this is a step in the right direction.
“These vaccines have undergone rigorous regulatory processes at global and country level and have been deemed safe and effective.”
Meanwhile, Germany and Canada have barred health workers from administering the vaccine on people above 65 years of age. The countries say the vaccine is not effective against COVID-19 in that age group. There are also fears that it could cause life-threatening side effects.
Nearly half of EU members did not allow the AstraZeneca vaccine to be given to over 65s, Sky News reported.
