The Federal Government has issued some conditions that states must fulfil before releasing the COVID-19 vaccines to them.
This mandate came ahead of the arrival of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines into the country within the next few weeks.
The Director, Logistics and Health Commodities, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Hajia Kubura Daradara, said on Friday, January 8, during a webinar hosted by the agency that government would not release the vaccines to the states until the states are ready to administer them.
Daradara stated that states were expected to administer the COVID-19 vaccines within five days to retain their potency and that only states that showed commitment to this would receive the vaccines.
The Federal Government had said the first batch of vaccines would arrive in the country between the end of January and February 2021, adding that the vaccines to be used in the country would be safe and effective.
It also said the 100,000 doses of the vaccine being expected in the first batch were for 50,000 Nigerians; as the vaccines would be taken twice by each person at 21 days intervals.
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1st News had previously reported that the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said that the country would spend N400bn to procure vaccines for the 70 per cent of Nigerians it planned to vaccinate; amid the rising spread of the virus in the dreaded second wave of the pandemic.
The Senate had on December 21 expressed doubts over the preparedness of the government; to effectively store the vaccines upon arrival in the country.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, added, “I have not been convinced with your presentation; that we are ready to bring in the vaccines. You have to do much more to convince me that we are ready. This is a matter of life and death. I am not only a doubting Thomas; but I am also doubting Ahmad.’’
But speaking at the webinar on Friday, Daradara said, “We are not releasing the vaccines to any state until we are sure that they are ready to implement (administer the vaccines). For the transportation of the vaccines; we will use dry ice in insulated thermal containers that are going to be sealed.
“So, when a state is ready for implementation; we take the vaccines to them a day to the time they are going to start the implementation. At the state level, the vaccines can stay for +2 to +8, which is at the normal refrigeration level for five days. So, each state would do their implementation for five days; that is when the vaccines will still be potent after we have given them.
“Once the vaccines are in the states, they can remove the vaccines; and put them in their normal refrigerators where it would stay for five days.”
She pointed out that the vaccines would be stored between -80 degree centigrade and -60 degree centigrade.
She said given that some cold stores were invaded by hoodlums; during the violence that followed the #EndSARS protest in October 2020; there would be security from when the vaccines arrive at the airport to when they are eventually administered to the recipients.
