Nigeria has spent at least $29 million to procure the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, representing $0.7 dollars per dose, Osagie Ehanire, the minister of Health, said during an interview on Channels Television.
The country expects the 40 million doses to come in batches as the minister noted that the government has not requested bulk supply possibly for storage reasons.
“We have not requested that they be brought in bulk because we are going to be receiving them as we are dispensing them. In addition to that, we have received doses from partners, friends, and other countries all going through the COVAX facility and the COCAX facility collates all vaccines that other countries want to give to us,” Ehanire.
He equally reacted to the fears posed by the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, calling on countries to join hands to confront the new health challenge in the world.
Read also: The Emerging Health Tech Hub in Nigeria Part 3 (eHealth Africa)
Ehanire said it has not been classified as deadly because there has not been any case of fatality nor severe illness reported yet.
“Up till now, it cannot be classified as deadly because zero fatalities have been reported. No severe illness has been reported,” he explained.
“The United Kingdom has reported about 246, about 86 in the last 24 hours but they have not reported any fatalities or any severe illness.”
On the ban imposed by some countries against Nigerian travellers in a bid to contain the spread of Omicron, he expressed unhappiness over the development.
Ehanire’s comment is coming less than a day after the UK placed Nigeria and other countries on a red list.
“From 0400 on Monday 6 December, Nigeria will be added to the red list for entering England,” the UK government’s travel advisory on Nigeria said.
This means Nigerians who do not have UK citizenship or residence permit can no longer travel to the country until the advisory is revised.
The UK’s move followed a similar decision by their Canadian counterpart which banned travellers from Nigeria, Egypt, and Malawi over fears of the new variant, bringing the number of African countries targeted by Ottawa to 10.
