National coordinator of the presidential taskforce on COVID-19 (PTF), Sani Aliyu has revealed that Nigerians will receive the COVID-19 vaccine at zero cost when the vaccination starts.
On Wednesday, 23rd December, Aliyu told Channel Television that it is possible over 40 million Nigerians will undergo vaccination through the GAVI arrangement (a vaccine alliance created to ensure that any new COVID-19 vaccine would be shared equally between the world’s richest and poorest countries).
He said;
“Yesterday, the president gave the PTF the mandate to proceed with preparations with regard to the vaccine.
“The president has also given us a marching order that the COVID-19 vaccine be available in Nigeria.
“Making use of the GAVI arrangement, we already have assurance that 20 percent of our population will be accommodated by GAVI in the vaccine. We don’t need to pay for that and this will cover 40 million Nigerians or so. But we have to pay for the operations and the logistics associated with it.”
Whether more vaccines would be purchased aside from the GAVI arrangement, Aliyu added;
“We are also planning to pay for an additional 20 to 40 percent. In general, over the next two years, at least 70 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated before we can have enough herd immunity.
“The Pfizer vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines at the moment.”