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AstraZeneca scarcity: FG’s COVID-19 vaccine fund runs into crisis

TNT Newsline May 3, 2021 120

There are strong indications that a crisis has hit Nigeria’s moves to procure more COVID-19 vaccine doses as the budget estimates for the procurement are grossly inadequate.

It was gathered on Sunday that the budget estimates the Ministry of Health submitted to the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning were based on AstraZeneca vaccine, which is $4 per dose.

Findings, however, indicated that because of the scarcity of AstraZeneca vaccine, as a result of the COVID-19 crisis in India, Nigeria might opt for Pfizer vaccine, which is $20 per dose.

It was learnt that with the cash crunch facing the country, it might be difficult to get additional funds to purchase all the Pfizer vaccine doses needed.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had at a meeting with the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, in March said he would submit to the National Assembly, a supplementary budget for arms purchase and COVID-19 vaccines.

But the National Assembly on Sunday told The PUNCH that it was still awaiting the supplementary budget.

Recall that the Federal Government on March 2 received 3.9 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX, an initiative co-led by the Vaccine Alliance, GAVI, and the World Health Organisation.

The initiative seeks to ensure equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccine by dividing about two billion doses across 92 low-and middle-income countries.

As of May 1, 1,222, 109 Nigerians had been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.

India, which manufactures Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, has halted its export following the spread of a devastating strain of the virus in the country.

According to a BBC report, 190 countries that are under the Covax scheme are likely to be affected as India battles to meet its local vaccine needs.

On Sunday, India recorded 3,689 COVID-19 deaths, 24 hours after it recorded more than 400,000 COVID-19 cases in a single day for the first time.

According to CNN, several Indian states were forced to postpone their vaccination plans on Saturday due to supply shortages.

On Sunday, it was learnt the Federal Ministry of Health’s budget proposal, which was based on AstraZeneca vaccine, might be increased so that the fund could be used to procure Pfizer vaccine.

A top health official, who spoke to The PUNCH on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak with the press, said the proposal submitted to the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, were estimates of AstraZeneca which are now scarce.

The official said with the scarcity of AstraZeneca, which cost about $4 per dose, Nigeria may opt for Pfizer, the only other vaccine which had been approved by the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control.

She said, “The estimates we submitted were for AstraZeneca which is the cheapest vaccine on the market. We estimated that each dose would cost $4.

“However, with the scarcity of AstraZeneca, we may have to opt for Pfizer. Unfortunately, Pfizer will cost us about $20 per dose and each person will need two doses. That is $40 per person. They are now talking about a booster jab which will cost an extra $20. In essence, it may cost $60 (N24,600) to vaccinate one Nigerian.

“This problem is not peculiar to Nigeria, but this is what we are facing now due to the scarcity of vaccines. Also, I am sure you are aware that Nigeria is facing a scarcity of funds. So, advocacy remains our best strategy. These are non-pharmaceutical interventions like wearing masks, social distancing and washing of hands.”

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had in a memo last week stated that it would be making no contribution to the Federation Account because of its huge oil subsidy payments, a situation which has put the government in panic mode.

In a related development, it was learnt that over a month after the Ministry of Health had submitted its COVID-19 budget estimates to the finance ministry, the proposal had not yet been submitted to the National Assembly.

The Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed, had on March 31 told State House reporters that the health component of the supplementary budget – which included vaccine estimates – was being delayed by the failure of the Ministry of Defence to submit its own estimates for military hardware.

When asked the time the finance ministry would send the COVID-19 supplementary budget to the National Assembly, the media aide to the finance minister, Yunusa Abdullahi, told one of our correspondents that he would respond later.

He had yet to provide the response up till the time of filing this report neither had he replied to a text message sent to him on the matter.

Also, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, did not take his calls when The PUNCH attempted to get his reaction to the crisis over the vaccine budget.

He also did not respond to the text message sent to him on the matter.

In the text message, the minister was asked if it was true that the WHO met with him and some others to review the usage of expiring COVID-19 vaccines for Nigeria and whether it was also true that the scarcity of AstraZeneca would increase the nation’s budget for vaccine as Nigeria might opt for a more expensive vaccine, Pfizer.

He has yet to either return the calls or respond to the text message as of the time of filing this report at 9.30pm.

WHO may review usage of expired COVID-19 vaccines for Nigeria, others

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation will this week consult Indian health authorities to determine if expired AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine can be used for countries like Nigeria which benefit from its COVAX facility.

The Director, WHO, Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, stated this during an interview with select journalists on Thursday.

The idea, it was learnt, had been discussed with all ministers of health in Africa including Nigeria’s Health Minister, Dr Osagie Ehanire.

The PUNCH was informed that the move had become necessary due to the scarcity of AstraZeneca vaccine caused by the recent surge in COVID-19 infections in India which is the manufacturer of the vaccine.

Moeti said, “On Tuesday I met with ministers in the African region to discuss key issues, particularly around expiring doses, supply shortages, vaccine safety and misinformation. The WHO is awaiting additional stability data from the Serum Institute of India to determine if the shelf life of AstraZeneca COVID-19 doses can be extended from six months to nine months.

“For doses that have already expired, the WHO is looking closely at the regulatory, scientific, logistical and problematic challenges and will issue a statement next week (this week).”

The BBC had reported last week that many vaccines could be used up to 36 months after manufacture, but because COVID-19 jabs are relatively new, there is not enough data to prove their effectiveness over longer periods.

The British medium noted that the WHO had in April urged African countries not to destroy COVID-19 vaccines that might have passed their expiry date but keep hold of them and wait for further guidance.

The PUNCH reports that the WHO may this week determine if Nigeria can extend usage of its over 1.5 million doses which are expected to expire between June 28 and July 10, 2021.

The WHO regional director said, “We are encouraging countries to prioritise the first dose to reach more people rather than saving supplies for the second dose.

“It is imperative that the available doses are used as quickly as possible to protect people from severe disease and death due to COVID-19.”

Govs await FG, states running out of vaccine stocks

The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, stated, “Most manufacturers of these vaccines do not want to deal with sub-national, they want to deal directly with the Federal Government. So, we have to wait, no matter the situation on what the Federal Government wants to do.”

“We are a sub-national, before we take any step we have to go through the Federal Government. The FG has some policies about vaccination which we must follow. We are still waiting for the Federal Government before we make decision on vaccine importation.”

Bauchi State Government has declared that it has no plans to buy additional COVID-19 vaccine doses for the state.

The Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Rilwan Mohammed, told one of our correspondents that the state government had just received additional 24,000 doses of the vaccine from the Federal Government in addition to the earlier 80,570 doses it received.

Mohammed, who is the Contact and Surveillance Sub-Committee Chairman, Bauchi State Task Force on COVID-19 said, “Bauchi State is not ready to import any COVID-19 vaccine because the Federal Government just yesterday (Saturday), released additional 24,000 doses to us. This is in addition to the 80,570 we had earlier received.”

On its part, the Sokoto State said this week it would exhaust the remaining doses of the vaccine it had.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Muhammad Ali Inname, told one of our correspondents that out of the 68,660 vaccines the state received, it had exhausted 34,000, on 21,000 people.

Inname stated, “Plans have been concluded to take the remaining vaccine doses to all the local government areas in the state. This will be done in the next ten days, to exhaust the remaining 34,000 doses.”

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the Osun State Governor on Public Health, Dr. ‘Siji Olamiju, stated, “Once we know Federal Government’s plan, I can assure you that the state government of Osun will be the first to kick start process of getting vaccine because Mr Governor places high premium on the healthy living of the residents.”

Also, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Health, Prof. Augustine Umoh, said that vaccines were only available to countries, not states.

He said “Yes, plans are still in place to bring in vaccines by the country. Vaccines are available only to countries, not states.”

The Kano State Coordinator of the Task Force on COVID-19, Dr Tijjani Husain, said that it was the sole responsibility of the Federal Government to provide COVID-19 vaccine doses to the states.

He disclosed that the Federal Government recently provided 10,000 additional doses of the vaccine to Kano State after it exhausted the 209,520 doses of the Oxford Astrazenica vaccine it received earlier.

We are still expecting COVID-19 vaccine budget from executive – Senate

Meanwhile, the Senate on Sunday said it was still expecting the supplementary budget for the purpose of procuring additional COVID-19 vaccines from the executive.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Primary Healthcare and Communicable Diseases, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, stated this in an interview with one of our correspondents.

Asked for the update on the plans by the Federal Government to procure additional vaccines, Utazi said, “We are still expecting the supplementary budget from the executive arm of government.”

(The PUNCH, text, excluding headline)