NPHCDA: 122,400 vaccinated against COVID so far — but four states yet to start

Nigeria has vaccinated 122,400 persons against COVID-19, about two weeks after the country began the vaccination.

Faisal Shuaib, executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), disclosed this on Monday at the weekly briefing of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19.

“No Nigerian so far has developed any known severe side effect (of the vaccine),” he said.

Shuaib added that there might be mild symptoms such as pain and swelling at the spot of vaccination, body pains and mild fever.

He said the vaccination has fully commenced in all states and the federal capital territory (FCT) except four: Kogi, Kebbi, Zamfara, and Oyo.

However, only Kogi is yet to receive their own supply of the vaccines.

“Kogi state was not supplied with the vaccines because their cold store is still under repairs following vandalisation during the #EndSARS protest,” the NPHCDA director said.

Nigeria administered the first dose of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine on March 5 after receiving 3.9 million doses courtesy of COVAX, the global alliance against COVID-19.

However, the country has managed to administer an average of 8,100 doses daily, a slow process for a population of over 200 million citizens.