The Minster of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire says Nigerians should begin to receive the covid19 vaccine by the end of January, 2020.
He said this during the Federal Executive Council meeting today, 16th December.
According to the Minister, a technical working group within the Ministry of Health is investigating which vaccine best suits Nigeria.
There are several vaccines developed by Russia, China, Germany, UK and US. Expectedly, not everyone would suit a tropical climate and indigenes like Africans.
Considerations have to be given for the special storage facilities needed to preserve some of the vaccines.
Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, the Minister said that enormous resources are required to store the one that needs a minus-98-degree storage considering that the Health Ministry does not readily have the facility presently.
Nigeria’s regular freezers generally have a minus-20-degree freezing capacity.
It s therefore not unexpected that various samples need to be investigated to choose the most suitable.
A task team was set up in the last week of November to procure, deploy and licence the vaccine most suitable for Nigeria.
Today’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the council chambers of the Aso Rock Villa and was presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
President Muhammadu Buhari joined the meeting virtually from his home town of Daura. He is home on a weeklong private visit.
A number of FEC members were physically present at the Aso Rock Villa. They include: Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi; Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed.
Others are the Finance Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu; Works and Housing Minister, Babatunde Fashola; Minister of Agriculture, Sabo Nanono, Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello.
Also physically present were the Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammed Dingyadi; Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammed Abubakar; Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Defence Minister, Maj Gen Bashir Magashi (rtd); Aviation Minister, Hadiths Sirika; Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo; Mister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva; Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor.
The Secretary to the government of the federation, (SGF), whose family members are reported to have contracted covid19 could not attend.
Read also:
Britain’s 90-Year-Old Grandmother is First to Get Pfizer-BioNTech Covid19 Vaccine
Nigerians Will Receive #COVID19 vaccine by end January 2020 – FG
Nigerians will receive COVID19 vaccine