**As 513,626 Get First Jab in Nigeria
By Ahmed Rahma
More than 500,000 persons living in Nigeria have received the first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
This information was revealed by the National Primary Health Care Agency (NPHCDA) on Sunday. The agency is in charge of vaccination in the country.
In a post on its official Twitter handle yesterday, NPHCDA said the precise number of persons in the country already vaccinated with the first jab is 513,626.
The COVID-19 drug was shipped to Nigeria at the beginning of this month and a total of 3.94 million doses were given to the nation from the World Health Organisation (WHO) COVAX facility aimed to help poorer countries of the globe. They were reportedly given to Nigeria, which prides itself as the giant of Africa, for free.
Recall that the country commenced vaccination on March 5, first with healthcare workers who are mostly at risk of infections being the first responders.
NPHCDA said that the vaccine roll-out would be in four phases, starting with health workers, frontline workers, COVID-19 rapid response team, laboratory network, policemen, petrol station workers and strategic leaders.
“Phase 2 – Older adults aged 50 years and above, those with co-morbidities, aged between 18 years and 49 years.
“Phase 3 – Those in states/LGAs with high disease burden and who missed phases 1 and 2.
“Phase 4 – Other eligible population as vaccines become available,’ it said.
According to the agency, as at March 28, over 513,626 eligible people have been vaccinated in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The agency said that Kogi state is yet to commence vaccination as at March 28, because the state had not been supplied with the vaccines.
“Kogi State was not supplied with the vaccines because their cold store is still under repairs following vandalisation during the #EndSARS protest,” it stated.
The NPHCDA stated that Lagos State had vaccinated 110,042 people, making it the highest in the country.
It said Ogun followed with 47,507, Kaduna with 38,063, Bauchi with 32,482, Katsina with 28,918 and Kwara with 26,473.
NPHCDA also said that the states with the lowest number of those vaccinated are Abia with 22, Taraba with 111 and Kebbi with 532.
It will also be recalled that Nigeria first received 3.94 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines and another 300,000 doses from telecom giant, MTN, as part of the latter’s contribution to Africa.
The Nigerian government hopes to vaccinate 109 million people against the COVID-19 virus over a period of two years.
Dipo Olowookere 
Adedapo Adesanya