COVID-19: Global Shortage Of Vaccines Remains A Huge Challenge – FG

• …Nigeria is looking to get a donation of the COVID-19 vaccine from the Covax facility and other countries that no longer have a need for their oxford AstraZeneca vaccine

The Federal Government says the unpredictability of vaccine supply as a result of global shortage remains a huge challenge.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire disclosed this during the weekly presidential media chat, saying Nigeria is looking to get a donation of the COVID-19 vaccine from the Covax facility and other countries that no longer have a need for their oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.

This donation Ehanire hopes will be gotten in August 2021 at the earliest.

Read also: COVID-19: NCDC Confirms 122 New Infections, 18 Fatalities

He further explained that the local production of the COVID-19 vaccine is not yet feasible owing to the high cost of conducting clinical trials that run into millions of dollars.

The health minister indicated that there is no supplementary budget yet as he declined to disclose the country’s financial commitment towards procuring additional vaccines.

Although a budget is not yet in place, Doctor Ehanire highlighted that the country has begun putting strategies in place towards potentially becoming a vaccine production hub in Africa.

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