COVID-19 vaccination: FG to consider private health facilities as centres

By JOHN NWOKOCHA, Abuja

•Says Nigeria not among nations on UK government’s red list

•4,963,985 eligible persons get vaccination

In order to give access to more eligible persons to COVID-19 vaccination across the country, the National Primary Health Care Development Authority (NPHCDA) said Tuesday in Abuja, that the federal government may consider private health facilities for expansion of vaccination.

Speaking on the progress of COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria, the Executive Director, CEO of NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said while COVID-19 vaccines are available at government health facilities only, presently, arrangements are being made for vaccinations in private health facility.

According to shuaib, ”As we decentralize, private health facilities who meet the set criteria will be allocated COVID-19 vaccines, after due training of their immunization service providers.

“Vaccinations in private health facility will continue with the help of Government health officials. Subsequently, clients will be able to access COVID-19 vaccines at both government and private health care facilities in the country”. He added: The goal is to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines and to ensure rapid and safe vaccine utilization”.

Shuaib also disclosed that already 4,963,985 eligible persons across the country had received first dose of COVID-19 vaccines.

The figure, he explains represents 4.4% of the targeted 111,776,503 eligible population.

Similarly, about 2,166,186 people have received their second doses of the vaccines.

Shuaib explains: “This means that approximately 1.9% of eligible populated is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

“It is imperative to reiterate the fact that only those who have taken their second dose are fully protected against the deadly COVID-19”.

Shuaib disclosed that as at Monday Nigeria government received 501,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX facility, as donation from the government of France.

“We have also gotten confirmation that we will be receiving 3,577,860 doses of Pfizer vaccines within the next two weeks”, he said.

The NPHCDA ED, said Nigeria will be receiving more doses of COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX facility in the coming months.

His words: “We anticipate that the vaccines will be quite large in amount, and therefore will require more efficient and faster ways of utilizing them including expanding access to the vaccines.

“We have therefore started implementing the decentralisation of vaccine utilisation by involving the private sector in the vaccine administration”.

On the UK government’s recent statement on Nigeria’s COVID-19 status, Shuaib said: ”Nigeria’s status has not changed. Nigeria is not among the red listed countries that need to mandatory quarantine for 14 days in a supervised UK facility.

“The statement released by the UK Government is in line with the Press statement released last week that Nigerians will continue to isolate upon arrival to the UK. This is similar to our requirement to have travellers from the UK, isolate for seven days upon arrival in Nigeria. They are reviewing the Country’s programs in phases.

If you go through the list of 50 closely, no African country made the list.

”The UK Government is yet to comprehensively review Nigeria’s vaccination certification program.

“The Presidential Steering Committee is in the process of reviewing these requirements. We have been in touch with the UK Government. Just like they stated clearly in their communication, the current listing of Countries with approved vaccination certification has just started in the UK.

He said the federal government will continue to explore options for purchase or acquisition of vaccines such as through COVAX and the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team.

Shuaib therefore, urges eligible citizens for rapid uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines