WHO Disqualifies Nigeria Vaccine
Setback in combating COVID-19
WHO Disqualifies Nigeria From Vaccine Supply
Nigeria has been disqualified from the first delivery round of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Nigeria was disqualified based on the country’s inability to meet the standard requirement of being able to store the vaccines at the required -70 degrees Celsius, according to WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti.
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Nigeria was interested in the provision of the vaccine donated by COVAX, a global alliance against COVID-19.
Last week, Kayode Fayemi, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, said the country was working with the World Bank to ensure the country’s supply of vaccines.
WHO Disqualifies Nigeria From Vaccine Supply
“Nigeria is one of 12 countries in Africa that have indicated the readiness of the 92 qualified countries for the facility and will receive its first shipment of vaccines by the end of February 2021,” Fayemi said at the end of the forum meeting.
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But at a press conference on COVID-19, Moeti said that in the first supply of 320,000 vaccines, only four African nations were captured.
In addition, four African countries have been assigned around 320,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine: Cape Verde, Rwanda, South Africa and Tunisia.’ Deliveries later in February are also expected.
WHO Disqualifies Nigeria From Vaccine Supply
Countries were invited to submit proposals in order to access an initial limited volume of Pfizer vaccine. Thirteen African countries expressed an interest in participating in the initiative and assessed their proposals on the basis of current mortality rates, new cases and trends and capacities, including storage at minus 70 degrees Celsius, for the delivery of the vaccine.
I have to say that this has been a difficult process, as we know that all nations want to start vaccinating their populations. The supplies were limited, but we are pleased that we will start with a number of nations and look forward to working with the other nations to expand the delivery of this vaccine.
The country has recorded over 138,000 COVID cases, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), out of which 1,640 patients have died.
Countries around the world have been vaccinating their citizens against the disease, but Nigeria has not administered a single dose of the vaccine.
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Some wealthy Nigerians have received COVID-19 vaccine overseas, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
