COVID-19: Nigeria, UK to Review Vaccination Certification

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The federal government yesterday said it was working with the United Kingdom (UK) to conduct a COVID-19 vaccination certification programme.

The move came just as the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) said Nigeria was still on queue to have its vaccination certification programme reviewed by the UK.

The Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, who spoke during the weekly briefing on COVID-19 vaccination status, explained that the review of Nigeria’s case the review was being carried out by the UK government in phases, adding that Nigeria was not amongst red listed countries.

According to him, the mandatory 14 days quarantine in a supervised UK facility upon arrival of Nigerians, was same as the requirement Nigeria has in place for all travellers coming into the country from other countries including UK, to be isolated for seven days before mingling with others.

He said: “The Presidential Steering Committee is in the process of reviewing these requirements. We have been in touch with the UK Government. Just like they stated clearly in their communication, the current listing of Countries with approved vaccination certification has just started in the UK.

“They are reviewing the country’s programs in phases. If you go through the list of 50 closely, no African country made the list. The UK Government is yet to comprehensively review Nigeria’s vaccination certification program. From my communication with the UK Government officials, the vaccines administered in Nigeria are approved by the UK government.

“They are also involved with the vaccination program in Nigeria through the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and they are optimistic that by the time Nigeria’s COVID-19 vaccination program certification is assessed, it will be approved.

“There are many countries in the world, so we, like many other countries are in the queue for this assessment. Once it gets to our turn, we are more likely than not to get approved in the coming weeks. Like the UK government have clearly stated, the process of assessment would occur in phases.”

The NPHCDA boss who disclosed that the intensified campaigns by the agency for uptake of second dose of COVID-19 vaccine through various channels have yielded appreciable results, said as of October 4th, 2021, Nigeria had vaccinated 4,963,985 eligible persons across the country with first dose of COVID-19 vaccines.

“This figure represents 4.4 per cent of the targeted 111,776,503 eligible population. About 2,166,186 people have received their second doses of the vaccines. This means that approximately 1.9 per cent of eligible populated is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. It is imperative to reiterate the fact that only those who have taken their second dose are fully protected against the deadly COVID-19,” he explained.

While noting that an additional 501,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines were on Monday received from the COVAX facility as donation from the Government of France, he added that receipt of 3,577,860 doses of Pfizer vaccines within the next two weeks had been confirmed, even as more doses of COVID-19 vaccines were expected through the COVAX facility in the coming months.

“We anticipate that the vaccines will be quite large in amount, and therefore will require more efficient and faster ways of utilising them including expanding access to the vaccines. We have therefore started implementing the decentralisation of vaccine utilisation by involving the private sector in the vaccine administration.

“Currently, COVID-19 vaccines are available at Government health facilities only. As we decentralise, private health facilities who meet the set criteria will be allocated COVID-19 vaccines, after due training of their immunisation service providers. “Vaccinations in private health facility will continue with the help of Government health officials. Subsequently, clients will be able to access COVID-19 vaccines at both government and private health care facilities in the country.”