NATIONAL: FG secures additional 41m Covid-19 vaccine doses through AU

THE government has secured an additional 41 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines as Nigeria’s share of the African Union’s promised vaccines

The Union has secured additional 400 million doses for the continent.

African Union procured 41 million doses as part of efforts by the Union’s task team to help countries on the continent gain equitable access to vaccines.

The 41 million vaccine doses are expected to come from three major sources: Pfizer, AstraZeneca (through the Serum Institute of India), and Johnson & Johnson.

Many African countries, including Nigeria, are yet to start vaccination programs even as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise across the continent.

Because most African countries fall under the class of middle and low-income countries, the purchase of the vaccines will be financed by the African Export–Import Bank, also known as Afreximbank.

However, countries are expected to make a down-payment of about 15 per cent and repay the cost over a five to seven-year period.

“Nigeria is mobilising resources,” Minister Ehanire said.

He added, “We have some funds ready. We will make a substantial deposit when it is time.”

Before securing the additional 41 million doses Nigeria had earlier promised  to take delivery of 100,000 vaccine doses via the WHO-backed Covax sharing facility by the end of January.

But speaking on  Channels Television’s ‘Politics today’ on Thursday the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire noted that the timeline has been shifted to February.

Ehanire also stressed that the date for delivery of the additional 41 doses from the AU  is not known yet adding that vaccine manufacturers still have problem with meeting global demand.

 “We do not have an exact date.The date it comes out depends on when the manufacturers are able to deliver, and that is not something that any country can enforce at this time,” said Ehanire.

He added that “The timelines are not in the hands of the recipient,”

The minister noted that even the European Union were yet to get enough supply despite preordering vaccines since last year.