The World Health Organisation (WHO) has pledged to support the country in reaching its targeted population with safe and effective vaccines.
Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO Country Representative hinted this while
speaking at the ceremony to acknowledge arrival of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines today in Abuja.
TheFact Nigeria noted that these 177,600 doses were part of the 29,850,000 doses the Federal Government procured from the AFREXIM Bank through the African Union meanwhile, no tangible progress has been recorded with local vaccine production which the government promised to encourage.
Dr. Walter commended the Government, Presidential Steering Committee (PSC), Federal Ministry Of Health (FMOH) and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) for the successful completion of the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out with the vaccination of the front-line workers and other priority groups who were at high risk of COVID-19.
Today, we are witnessing the symbolic arrival of 177,600 Johnson & Johnson vaccines, another landmark event in Nigeria’s response to COVID-19 pandemic; widely acclaimed by many as one of the most successful so far.
Going further, he said the country’s preparation for the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination, involving more resources and logistics, was highly commendable.
He disclosed that a multi-sectorial approach at the different level of the Government had been set-up to address issues around COVID-19 vaccine hesitancies; If any.
The WHO Country Representative said: “These vaccines are safe and effective and will be the game- changer.
“The Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen vaccine we have today, was listed for emergency use by WHO on the 12th of March 2021. The vaccine has been authorised for use in Europe, the United States and other countries.
“As the only single dose COVID-19 vaccine approved for use to date, the vaccine may be an important tool for accessing hard-to-reach populations, thus playing a key role in preventing infections and reducing deaths across Nigeria”, said Dr. Kazadi.
He admonished that the country was experiencing a 3rd wave and stressed the need to work together to ensure that all preventive measures put in place were maximized to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on our lives.
