Nigeria can not at the moment produce Covid-19 vaccines because it is a complex and complicated process that requires massive investment that has not been done for many decades, the Executive Secretary, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Faisal Shuaib said.
Shuaib who disclosed this at the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 briefing in Abuja on Monday also said the pandemic has come too early for Nigeria to be able to produce the vaccines immediately.
He however said that does not stop Nigerian research institutions from learning all of the process that led to such a rapid production of Covid-19, adding that the Taskforce would continue to work very hard to meet the operational and regulatory requirements to access safe and effective vaccines.
Shuaib explained that: “In the 1960s, we used to make Yellow Fever vaccines in this country, in the 1990s we took a decision to change our analogue ways of making Yellow Fever vaccines into the most recent technology. However, that transfer of technology never happened and that is why we did not continue to making Yellow Fever vaccines.
“Perhaps, if we have continue making Yellow Fever vaccines in the Yaba Laboratory, Lagos, it might have been easier for us to continue and make other vaccines before now. So, there is a genuine effort by this administration to restart the process of vaccines production.
“This is why the Federal Government went into joint venture agreement with Biovaccines through May and Baker. It takes usually 10-15 years for you to be able to start producing the vaccines so it takes a very long and complicated process. As it is said, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step and those steps have been taken by the Federal Government by getting into this joint venture and making sure that those partnerships with pharmaceutical companies have already started”.
While allaying the fears of Nigerians on the available Covid-19 vaccines, he said: “This is the very first time ever that we are producing a messenger RNA vaccine – usually faster to produce. The folks that produce Covid-19 vaccine did not start from ground zero. What it means is that there were precursors vaccines that were already in the laboratory. The vaccines were not produced overnight they went through rigorous process.
“There is nothing about some wicked conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 vaccines. I am happy to say that Nigerians are beginning to get that and on our part as the Presidential Taskforce we will continue to be patient to listen, we will not dismiss those concerns but we work very hard to provide information that is required to assure Nigerians that in the spirit of integrity, we will only approve vaccines that are safe for all Nigerians”.
Also speaking, Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have called on all health workers to test and treat every patient exhibiting symptoms for COVID_19 before any other suspected ailment.
“We are encouraging every one to have a much higher index of suspicion and health care workers to not waste time treating and looking for malaria or typhoid and other possible cause of ailment. The strategy now will be to rule out CIVID_19 before you go for the others” the DG said.
Olorunnimbe Mamora, Minister for state for health, while noting that Nigeria informed that government is working to meet it’s target of testing 2 million Nigerians within the shortest period.
The Minister frowned at the report that many patients who died, reported late for treatment at the approved centres because they were referred late from private facilities. He said the situation is alarming.
“We therefore once again seize this opportunity to urge health care practitioners to promptly send all suspected cases for testing and when positive, refer them to isolation centres for treatment” he said.
He added that: “Attempting to treat suspected or confirmed cases not only exposes the health workers in such a facility to risk of infection but also denies the patient early access to effective treatment in an approved treatment centre.
The Minister further informed that the Case Management Partners Coordination forum for 2021 is set to recommence on Wednesday 13th January, 2021.
