Africa-Press – Nigeria. The Federal Government has warned against misleading theories crafted by anti-vaccination elements to discourage Nigerians from seeking protection against COVID-19.
It also emphasised the presence of the newly discovered Delta variant of the virus in Nigeria, warning residents to protect themselves.
Advising Nigerians to remain alert over the increasing cases of the infection, the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib said it was expedient for Nigerians to continue observing non-pharmaceutical public health measures against COVID.
“With the detection of the Delta Variant of COVID-19 in Nigeria, it is important that Nigerians continue to observe non-pharmaceutical or public health measures such as wearing of facemask, social distancing and hand hygiene in order to curb the transmission of the disease,” Shuaib said.
‘‘Although it is increasingly evident from independent voices that the conspiracy theories are fake and misleading, we need to remain on alert and continue to provide Nigerians with factual information to enable them see the need to get vaccinated against COVID-19’’.
Dr Faisal who gave the caution at a press briefing in Abuja informed that the Federal Government will soon take delivery of 3,924,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca/Moderna vaccine by the end of July or early August 2021 from the COVAX facility.
‘‘To receive 3,930,910 doses of Pfizer-Bio-N Tech/Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in August from the COVAX facility donated by the United States Government, 3,577,860 doses of Pfizer-Bio-N Tech/Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in Q3 from the COVAX facility 29,850,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson (Jassen) COVID-19 vaccine by the end of September.
He said the vaccine doses are expected to arrive in batches from the African Union Commission in the coming months barring all last-minute changes.
‘‘The Federal Government has procured 60 units of U701 ultra cold chain equipment and as we speak, about 37 of them have been deployed to all the 36 States and FCT in preparation to receive all COVID-19 vaccines that would require an ultra-cold temperature of below 40 to 85 degrees,” he added.
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