The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says Nigeria hopes to get 42 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine soon to cover one fifth of its population.

The Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib, disclosed this at the Presidential Task Force briefing on COVID-19, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Shuaib said that the vaccine would be got through the global COVAX scheme.

He said that the initial doses would come as part of Nigeria’s plan to inoculate 40 per cent of the population in 2021.

“The COVAX scheme was set up to provide vaccines to poorer countries such as Nigeria, whose 200 million people and poor infrastructure pose a daunting challenge to medical officials rolling out the vaccinations, as the West African country battles a second, larger spike in coronavirus cases.

“Nigeria, where officials recorded low coronavirus numbers through much of 2020, had 1,204 new cases on Monday, its highest ever, as total confirmed cases edge closer to 100,000.

“Nigeria will first inoculate frontline health workers, first responders, national leaders, people vulnerable to coronavirus and the elderly,“ he said.

He said that Nigeria must educate its citizens on the importance of COVID-19 vaccination.

“We fear what we don’t understand,” he noted.

NAN