FG receives 177,600 doses of J&J COVID vaccine

The Federal Government on Thursday took delivery of 177,600 doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

The single-shot vaccine was acquired through the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust, with the support of Afrexim bank.

Africa Centre for Disease Control said the vaccines were partly manufactured in Africa.

The vaccines are expected to be deployed in hard-to-reach areas, to eliminate the need for travel for a second dose.

More of the J&J vaccines are expected in the country, with Health Minister Osagie Ehanire saying on Thursday that Nigeria had procured about 40 million doses of the vaccine through AVAT.

Nigeria is expected to step up its COVID vaccination programme after receiving over four million doses of the Moderna vaccine from the US government last week.

Ehanire said only about one percent of the population had been vaccinated, so far.

The second phase of the national vaccination programme is expected to commence next Monday.