FG contracts companies to supply billions of doses of Covid-19 vaccine Nigerians fear to take

After all the resistance to Covid-19 vaccine candidates, and claim by renowned doctors of HydroxylChloroquine’s effectiveness in early treatment of Coronavirus, Nigerians may soon get jabs in the arms as billions of doses of Covid-19 vaccine arrive the country.

The federal government, through Healh Minister Osagie Ehanire, says it is working with global health and research organisations developing the vaccines.

The Minister made this known in Abuja on Thursday during a briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

He told his audience during the Thursday briefing of the PTF on Covid-19 that Nigeria has agreed with these organisations for the allocation of 2 billion vaccine doses as soon as they are available.

“Nigeria is also working with the World Health Organisation to finalise enrolment with the ACT – Access To COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, a global mechanism tracking and sponsoring global organisations working on COVID-19 vaccine development,” he said.

“We also have interest in the COVAX Facility, which is a Gavi-supported initiative to procure and assure equitable access to vaccines as soon as they are available, especially for lower-income countries.

“This will prioritise Nigeria for an allocation of a part of 2 billion vaccine doses that will be secured in a special plan to protect the interest of poorer countries.”

Nigeria has recorded over 50,000 COVID-19 infections and about 1,000 deaths since the viral disease spread to Nigeria in February.