Nigeria has announced its transition from the Non pharmaceutical Interventions phase to a Non Pharmaceutical Interventions Plus Vaccines phase of its National Response.
Chairman of the Presidential Task Force, PTF, on Covid-19 in Nigeria, Boss Mustapha announced this in Abuja, at its National Joint Media briefing,
As Nigeria awaits the arrival of four million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines on 2nd march, 2021, Mustapha said this development offers a huge ray of hope that comes with its own challenges and responsibilities and all Nigerians must be prepared to take responsibility.
He noted that the development of Vaccines as a ray of hope was a welcome development, but that Vaccines alone cannot be a solution.
He said accessing vaccines has been strategic and deliberate, and assured that vaccines coming to Nigeria shall be safe and efficacious.
The PTF Chairman however, emphasised that the achievement of the core objectives behind the aforementioned facts on vaccines shall remain farfetched if Nigeria fails to overcome the following:
i. Vaccines Hesitancy and scepticism
ii. Elite resistance
iii. Possible emergence of unauthorised or fake vaccines
- Collaboration and support from sub-nationals
- Double Registration and fake Information
- Security
Boss Mustapha further said that despite the challenges, the PTF wishes to commend the National Response as successful adding that at inception, the primary aim was to strengthen the health system to withstand the Covid-19 and other pandemics.
Confidence Okwuchi
