COVID-19 vaccine may be available within the next six to 12 months –NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has revealed that a vaccine for the deadly COVID-19 virus which has claimed over 800 lives across the country will be ready in the next six to 12 months.

Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Director-General of the NCDC who revealed this on Thursday during the virtual weekly briefing of the African Centre for Disease Control, said that there are a lot of ongoing programmes on the COVID-19 vaccine research.

He also informed that Nigeria records between 500 and 700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 every day but also added that the country has not experienced an explosion of cases as predicted by some models during the initial days of the outbreak of the virus.

According to him, Nigeria now has 60 molecular testing centres across the country.

READ ALSO: With 59 laboratories, Nigeria tests 250,000 for COVID-19 —NCDC

He said; “We initially didn’t have enough molecular testing centres. But now we have 60 molecular testing centres. 85 percent of the 36 states of the country now have testing centres and we intend to cover the remaining six states by next week.

“The NCDC would continue to improve the sensitivity of the country’s surveillance system, adding that it would also increase focus on Infection, Prevention, and Control (IPC).

“Nigerians are enjoined to stick to health guidelines against COVID-19 because prevention is important in the country’s response to the disease,” Dr Ihekweazu added.

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