COVID-19 vaccines to arrive in February— Minister

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, says the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from Covax will arrive in Nigeria from February.

Ehanire made this known on Monday in Abuja at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 national briefing. The minister, who said Nigerians should expect the first roll-out of the vaccines as from February, did not specify the date or time. “According to the latest information I have, we have been advised to expect the first COVID-19 vaccines from Covax to arrive in Nigeria as from February.

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“We shall continue to review plans to ensure a smooth roll out in our country,” Ehanire said. He explained that the delay being experienced in receiving the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine was because manufacturers were yet to take decisions on when to deploy it to the country.

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“The date of the first arrival of vaccines in Nigeria has kept changing because the decision lies with the manufacturer who already has heavy commitments,” the minister said.

Ehanire said that Nigeria had been allocated over 42 million doses by the AU’s African Vaccines Acquisition Task Team AVATT and was expecting 15 of about 42 million doses from COVAX. “Altogether, it will give us coverage for over 50 per cent of our target for 2021, if we can access all doses promised,” he said.