Covid-19 vaccine rollout: How Africa is faring
By Keagan Le Grange
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Cape Town: As the world shifts its focus to the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in efforts to end the pandemic, it has become evident that the most developed countries across the world have reached advanced phases of their rollout plans while many others have not.
Africa remains in their early stages of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout due to various challenges, mainly due to the shortage of vaccine shots.
The Conversation reported that African countries trying to overcome the vaccine shortfall resorted to sourcing them through:
The Covax facility which is a global initiative aiming to provide equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines which is led by multiple global health organisations such as the World Health Organization, Gavi, the vaccine alliance and the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness.
“More vaccines are also expected from the African Union’s Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT).
“We shall also be receiving about 100,000 doses of Covishield vaccines donated by the Government of India to Nigeria. This will further boost the number of Nigerians to be vaccinated by about 50,000.
“The PTF through the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and the National Primary Health Center Development Agency (NPHCDA) prioritised the initial consignment of vaccines to cover frontline medical personnel, strategic leadership, and those above the age of 50 years across the nation.
“Majority of sub-national entities have already received their allocation and administration is progressing.
“More vaccines are also expected from the African Union’s Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT).
“We shall also be receiving about 100,000 doses of Covishield vaccines donated by the Government of India to Nigeria. This will further boost the number of Nigerians to be vaccinated by about 50,000.
“The PTF through the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and the National Primary Health Center Development Agency (NPHCDA) prioritised the initial consignment of vaccines to cover frontline medical personnel, strategic leadership, and those above the age of 50 years across the nation.
“Majority of sub-national entities have already received their allocation and administration is progressing.
COVID-19: Existing vaccines less effective against new variants FG
On
By Sola Ogundipe, Omeiza Ajayi, Gabriel Olawale & Boluwaji Obahopo
The Federal Government has urged Nigerians to continue to maintain all Non-Pharmaceutical Intervention measures against the COVID-19 virus, even after vaccination, noting that the COVID-19 vaccines had not proved largely effective against some new coronavirus variants.
Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce PTF on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Boss Mustapha, who gave the charge on Tuesday at a briefing in Abuja, however, said Nigeria had remained vigilant and was applying science and data to navigate the dangerous terrain.
Abuja, April 6, 2021 The Federal Government has received 100,000 doses of Covishield vaccines from India.
The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, confirmed this on Tuesday at the national briefing by the PTF in Abuja.
HE said: “As you are aware, Nigeria received 3.94 million doses of the COVID-19 Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine on March 2, 2021.
“These vaccines represented the first tranche of about 16 million doses allocated to Nigeria through the COVAX facility, aimed at vaccinating an initial 20 per cent of the population.
“More vaccines are also expected from the African Union’s Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT).