As the nation moves into the New Year beginning from Friday January 1, 2021, the Nigerian government has concluded plans to purchase COVID-19 vaccines to the tune of N400billion.
According to the nation’s health minister, Osagie Ehanire, the sum of N156billion will be spent in 2021 while N200billion will be spent in 2022.
Nairametrics reports that the money would help in vaccinating about 70 percent of Nigeria’s population at 8 dollar per vaccine.The first shipment of the vaccines will be in the country between January and April 2021.
Osagie Ehanire, the nation’s health minister said the vaccination will begin from health workers through the vulnerable and then people with chronic diseases.
In a report by Bloomberg, one of the leading online media in the world, Nigeria is expected to license by April 2021 one of the vaccines being developed for COVID-19.
Director general of National Agency for Foods and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojishola Adeyeye, said Covax, one of the manufacturers of the vaccines will supply for 20 percent of the nation population. She said the Covax program is negotiating the vaccines developed by Pfizer and AstraZeneca plc.
Bloomberg report says vaccine manufacturers are yet to submit applications to NAFDAC but Nigerian officials have met with Pfizer months ago.
But in a report published by the government of the United Kingdom, there are certain issues with the vaccines. There are eight clauses in the vaccines which needed special attention before releasing such amount of billions to purchase vaccines which may not be useful in the long run.
In the report, the UK government said the vaccines are not safe for pregnant women. That means pregnant women cannot take the vaccines.
The vaccines are not safe for women who are planning to get pregnant within the few months of taking the drugs.
It said there has been no testing to determine the side effect of the vaccines. It also said it is not clear whether the vaccines will cause infertility.
The UK government noted that taking the vaccines will not stop you from contracting the COVID-19 virus. It also said it cannot prevent you from spreading the virus.
Similarly you cannot breastfeed if you have taken the vaccines. This has removed pregnant women and nursing mothers outrightly from taking the vaccines.
Again, the vaccines are not suitable for children under the age of 16 years. The UK government nor Pfizer the manufacturer of the vaccines will not accept responsibility for death or personal injury resulting from taking the vaccines
