As of May 14, 2021, a total of 1,767,488 eligible Nigerians have been vaccinated with the first dose of AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine in the first phase of vaccination, according to the latest data from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
Also, three states have reached 100 percent of their target population. The states are: Kwara, 104 percent; Ekiti, 100 percent; and Cross River, 100 percent. Lagos, FCT, and Kano have so far vaccinated the highest number of persons – 274,484; 118,895; and 92,583 respectively. This brings the proportion of Nigerians vaccinated to 87.8 percent.
Earlier in the week, during a virtual press briefing organised by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC), the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib, stated that his Agency has started administering the second doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
He said: “Nigerians have shown incredible interest in receiving the vaccine, and they have been cooperating with our health teams to help the system succeed. This is incredibly important because to move beyond covid-19, this must be a national effort.
“Administering these two doses of the vaccine within the recommended time frame is very important to ensure full inoculation benefits. This means that with the current supply, we will fully inoculate roughly 2 million Nigerians rather than partially inoculate 4 million Nigerians. We are removing an element of risk that is becoming too high.
“We have already started administering second doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. In addition to health workers, frontline workers aged 18 years and above, and persons aged 50 years and above are being advised to visit any designated vaccination site to receive their vaccine doses whether the first or the second dose.
“We are also advising that people who have received their first dose should check their vaccination cards for the date of the second dose, and ensure that they receive their second dose to gain full protection against covid-19.”
