The Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, on Monday, said Nigeria had more than enough facility to store the 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine being expected late January or early February.
Shuaib made the clarification at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja.
He said it was not true that the 100,000 doses being expected would be wasted because of lack of storage facility.
The NPHCDA boss said, “I want to reiterate that the first set of vaccine expected in the country is the Pfizer Biotech vaccine and the equipment required to store them – the ultra-cold chain equipment – are available at the National Strategic Cold Store of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.”
Shuaib said it was the decision of government, through the PTF and the Ministry of Health not to invest too heavily in ultra-cold chain equipment, hence the decision to go for vaccines that can be stored with the equipment being used to store vaccines for routine polio immunisation.
While encouraging all Nigerians to get vaccinated when vaccines become accessible, Shuaib said, “The chances of spreading the disease are significantly reduced when community members are vaccinated,” he said.
PTF asks Nigerians to avoid second lockdown
The Chairman of PTF, Boss Mustapha, urged Nigerians to do everything possible to avoid a second lockdown in Nigeria.
Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said this can be done by complying with the protocols released by government.
He also announced that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had been authorised to immediately implement the 450 tests per local government plan.
He said, “We are considering all options while hoping that broad cooperation will be received. We must do everything possible to avoid a second lockdown in Nigeria.”
Mustapha, who said that the PTF would publish the next list of 100 defaulters very soon, stressed that, there was a strong multi-sectoral approach to the activities, decisions and engagement of the PTF with institutions of government and the public sector.
He said, “The PTF has also authorised the NCDC to immediately implement the 450 tests per LGA plan, nationwide, immediately.
“We are aware that states are not on the same pedestal in the area of testing and we shall begin with states that are in the forefront of resourcing and infrastructure.”
Mustapha urged all states where schools had resumed to ensure strict adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions to avoid the escalation of COVID-19 cases.
He said, “While we note that several states have proceeded with the resumption of schools, the PTF recommends strongly that very strict adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions should be enforced by the states to avoid the escalation of cases,” Mustapha stressed.
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