Nigeria is preparing to resume COVID-19 vaccinations, with another shipment of 3.92 million AstraZeneca vaccine expected to arrive in July and August.

During a press conference in Abuja yesterday, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, the Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), announced the federal government has begun vaccinations of the first dose in anticipation of the receipt of the next batch of AstraZeneca vaccine.

“We now have information that Nigeria will get 3.92 million doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca by end of July or early August. As we receive additional information on the exact dates in August, we will provide an update regarding timelines and details of this,” he stated.

Shuaib said that the federal government has resumed giving the first dosage of the vaccine, which had been suspended due to shortages, while working with international partners to confirm the next shipment of vaccinations to Nigeria.

He added that recent study from Public Health England (PHE) indicated that the Indian (Delta) variation B.1.617.2 is 92 percent responsive to Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

It’s reassuring, he says, that the vaccination used in Nigeria can protect against the variation that caused such significant morbidity and death in India.

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