Africa Union (AU), yesterday, handed over the first shipment of 177,600 of Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccines doses to the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC).
It was gathered that to ensure widespread access to COVID-19 vaccines across Africa, the AU launched the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) in November 2020.
President and Chairman of Board of African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK), Benedict Oramah, while handing the vaccines to the PSC in Abuja, said: “The vaccine acquisition by AVAT was a unique milestone for the African continent.
It was also gathered that West African nation is one of the earliest to benefit from a supply deal agreed in March 2021 to procure 220 million doses for the continent, with the potential to order another 180 million.
The single dose of COVID-19 vaccine made by J&J is highly effective in preventing severe illness and death from the Delta and Beta variants of the coronavirus, data from a clinical trial in South Africa suggest.
The J&J vaccines by the Janssen Pharmaceutical’s vaccine cost Nigeria $7.50 against $10 per dose and the country is procuring about 29,850,000 doses, through the AU, under AVAT.
According to Oramah, it marks the first time that AU member states have collectively purchased vaccines to safeguard the health of the African population.
He said Afreximbank was pleased to have contributed in the historic procurement of vaccines by AVAT.
Oramah this this was the first shipment of 177,600 doses of the J&J single dose vaccines into Nigeria.
He said Nigeria would be receiving the over two million vaccines doses in batches.
“In August, 1,173,132 doses of J&J first batch of 176,000 doses and second batch 997,132 doses. Then deliveries will continue every month.
“Afreximbank is delighted to be a part of this successful breakthrough in Africa. This was also possible through our partners – Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP), AVATT, Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and the AU for their invaluable contribution to achieving this milestone,’’ he said.
He said the target was to deliver almost 50 million vaccines before the end of December 2021.
“By January 2022, the number of vaccines being released will be in excess of 25 million per month,” he said.
The chairman said this would be in collaboration with the AMSP and UNICEF was providing logistical and delivery services to the member states.
He said the shipment for 6.4 million doses began in August 2021 and they would arrive in several member states.
Oramah said International donors had committed to deliver the remaining half of the doses required through the COVAX initiative.