Over 60 million Nigerians fully vaccinated against COVID-19 —NPHCDA

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), has disclosed that over 60 million Nigerians had received full COVID-19 vaccination.

Dr. Adejoke Oladele of the NPHCDA made the disclosure while presenting the COVID-19 milestones of the agency, on Friday, in Abuja, at the national evaluation meeting of achievements in COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria.

Oladele noted that the 60 million people, who are among those eligible for the vaccination, represent over 54 per cent of the target population.

He stated that the progress report showed that as of December 14, Nasarawa, Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Osun, made up the top five performing states in COVID-19 vaccination.

He added that over 70 million Nigerians of the target population had received at least a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Oladele said: “In November 2020, with the guidance of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, the NPHCDA set up the COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy Group and Technical Working Groups comprising government officials, partners, and donors to drive the process of the COVID-19 vaccination.

“The SG identified the target population for COVID-19 vaccination to be persons 18 years and above, which is 51.4 per cent of the population (111,776,503 persons). A national target of 70 per cent coverage was set for the end of the fourth quarter of 2022.

READ ALSO:Nigerian govt rules out COVID-19 tests for travellers

“In March 2021, Nigeria received about four million doses of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX facility, and on March 5, 2021, administered the first dose of COVID -19 vaccine to health workers in the National Hospital, FCT, Abuja.

“Since then, the country has received over 127.5 million doses of Oxford AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines as donations from friends of Nigeria, COVAX facility, and purchase by the Federal Government of Nigeria via the African Union’s African Vaccine Acquisition Trust.

“The United State Government’s vaccine donation to Nigeria currently stands at 32.6 million doses among other support.

“In collaboration with the United States Government, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children’s Fund, other international and Local partners, and Non-governmental Organisations, the Nigerian Government has strived to ensure COVID-19 vaccines, routine immunisation, and other PHC services reach every corner of the country to ensure all persons receive basic health care.

“To date, over 54 per cent of the target population has been fully vaccinated, translating to over 60 million persons.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now