Some multidisciplinary biomedical and healthcare researchers have come out to say that Nigeria has the required basic technology to produce vaccines.
The team being led by the acting Head of Department, Microbiology, Adeleke University, Ede, Dr. Oladipo Kolawole and under the coordination of the Vice-Chancellor, Precious Cornerstone , Prof Olatunji Kolawole of University of Ilorin, University, Ibadan, Prof. Julius Oloke anf Deputy Coordinators: Prof. Olubukola Oyawoye of Federal University, Oye Ekiti.
Kolawole who is also the founder of Helix Biogen Institute in his attempt to counter a report by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire who on Monday, stated that Nigeria did not have the basic technology to produce vaccines said his laboratory has all the required technology to produce vaccines.
According to Ehanire at the bi-weekly Ministerial Press briefing on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases currently in the country, “The urgency is now to have the technology to know how to produce vaccines.
So we have brought together all our experts, including the producers of vaccines and manufacturers to find a way to have the technology in case of future outbreaks. ’’
Meanwhile, Kolawole in his reaction, said, ‘‘The government doesn’t have the basic technology but we have the basic technology in our lab at the Helix Biogen Institute.
We have our in-house technology to design vaccine candidates, remember we were able to make the WHO list. We were not able to synthesize in the country that is, we need to make it in liquid form to know the best conditions for production, but all other steps were carried out here.’’
He lamented that events followed the same path when coronavirus started in 2020 as the Federal Government also declared then that there were no molecular biologists in the country.
Accirding to Kolawole, “We have finished the first phase of the animal trial using mice for accessing the safety. It was safe, we are in contact with CEPI to help out with the immunogenicity study and they have sent some forms to us. We will soon be accessing the immunogenicity of the candidate vaccine and we are collaborating with researchers in Kenya for the trial in monkeys, which will start any time soon. “
The research effort, which was concluded with its animal trial based received lasting by the World Health Organisation as number 61 of 185 vaccine candidates across the globe.
“All we’ve got are commendation from Minister of Science and Technology as well as posts from former vice president, Atiku Abubakar on his Facebook and Twitter accounts, but no financial support. The team is focused. We will keep moving and pushing until we get there. Though the pace might be slow but slow and steady win the race.
We have three candidate vaccines for Lassa Fever Virus, one for Hepatitis E, and one for Cholera. Although the team is working on a pan-coronavirus vaccine which is different from the ones we had before, that is 70 per cent completed. ” He furthered.
