Spain donated 4,400,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to Nigeria yesterday.
Dr. Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), said 29,651,708 eligible people had received the first COVID-19 vaccine which is about 23.4% of the eligible population.
He said the federal government is working to vaccinate 70% of the eligible population.
In furtherance of this initiative and the Government of Spain’s commitment, we are here to officially receive, on behalf of the federal government of Nigeria, 4,400,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.
Shuaib told Spanish Ambassador Juan Ignatio Sell that the donation was needed as the country expanded vaccination coverage.
He said the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine would speed herd immunity.
Shuaib also provided an update onthe COVID-19 vaccination: “As of May 24, 2022, 29,651,708 eligible persons have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines, which is 23.4% of our eligible population. 14,179,966 people have received the 2nd dose and 17,702,018 are fully vaccinated, or 15.8% of the eligible population. 1,178,604 people have been boosted.
Shuaib said the country is far from reaching its target of 70% of the eligible population.
Donations will help us reach our goal. Even if the virus evolves, vaccination will likely reduce the severity of the disease as immunity increases.
If most of the eligible population in Nigeria and globally remains unvaccinated, a more virulent and highly transmissible variant could emerge, sooner or later.
Shuaib added, “New estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) showed the full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 15 million” (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million).
The pandemic killed 15 million people in two years. He called it “heartbreaking.”
