The Federal Government has on Friday received samples of Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine and would be sent to agencies for review and possible validation.
Russia’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Alexey Shebarshin, presented the samples to the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, during a visit to the ministry in Abuja today.
This was made known in a statement the ministry’s Director of Information, Media, and Public Relations, Olujimi Oyetomi, signed, titled, “Russian Federation Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Alexey L. Shebarshin on courtesy visit to Nigeria’s Health Ministers, Russian-made COVID-19 Vaccine finally here”.
Ehanire said the vaccine would be quickly referred to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the Nigeria Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) amongst other agencies for review and possible validation while noting that the nation is working with WHO for the allocation of two billion vaccine doses as soon as they are available.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the need for a vaccine has become even more urgent globally and nationally with Nigeria recording over 50,000 COVID-19 infections.
Meanwhile, Oyetomi had in the statement said Russian envoy said he was at the Health Ministry to formally hand over the Russian-made Vaccine against COVID-19 to Nigeria with an aide memoir which explains the details for Nigerian teams to study and get ready for further researches, patronage and application.
The statement read in part, “Nigeria has been participating in series of knowledge exchange and contacts with different research bodies and countries to find solutions to the COVID-19 challenge and had contacted the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria for right of access immediately the Russian COVID-19 Vaccine was announced.”
The consensus of decision reached was to quickly refer the vaccine to the necessary professional institutes and agencies of the Federal Ministry of Health beginning with NAFDAC, NIPRD.
It continued that for a team of scientists and advisors to the ministry to get to work on possible patronage of the Russian vaccine to alleviate the plight of Nigerians amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
It stated further, “A Ministerial Team is also expected to be raised to continue further engagement with the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria on the vaccine as well as other areas of interests highlighted at the meeting.”
Also present at the presenting of the vaccine were the Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora; top management of the Health Ministry and other Nigerian Scientists.
