The United States Embassy in Abuja has announced the arrival of 2.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Nigeria on Thursday.
According to the Embassy, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency received the vaccines and ensured that they were taken to cold storage in preparation for distribution to over 3,000 health facilities across all 36 states and the FCT.
The Embassy also listed efforts the US government had made to support the Nigerian government in its mass vaccination campaign stating that it had donated over 13 million doses to Nigeria in partnership with COVAX.
“To date, the United States has donated more than 13.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in partnership with COVAX, or bilaterally to Nigeria. Additionally, the United States has provided more than $119 million in COVID-19 related health assistance,” the Embassy stated.
“This includes a 40-bed mobile field hospital, ventilators and related training for 88 hospitals, personal protective equipment, technical assistance for vaccine readiness, risk communication and demand generation for vaccines, conducting an epidemiological COVID-19 detection and vaccine hesitancy survey, setting up electronic record systems, rapid response teams, training for over 200,000 military and civilian personnel on COVID-19 control measures, and technology for virtual training.
“In addition, the United States leveraged the PEPFAR-supported National Integrated Specimen Referral Network and laboratory investments to support the expansion of the NCDC (153) molecular laboratory network nationwide.”
The donated vaccine doses will help Nigeria’s mass vaccination drive, which the government plans to make available at major markets, shopping malls, event centres, motor parks, airports, places of employment, and religious institutions.