From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), yesterday, inspected the 4,000,080 Moderna vaccines doses donated by the America government to step up efforts to battle a third wave of infections.
Speaking while inspecting the vaccines at the National Strategic Cold Store, Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said an effective cold chain management of any COVID-19 vaccine is key to ensuring success of the national vaccination programme.
Taking newsmen on a tour, Faisal said Nigeria can store COVID-19 vaccines including the Moderna vaccine.
He disclosed that the Nigeria government had earlier acquired an additional 60 ultra cold freezers that would accommodate both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
He added that the store has a combined capacity of 2100 litres and operates at a temperature of -85°C.
“The Moderna vaccine was expected to remain stable at standard refrigerator temperatures of 2° to 8°C (36° to 46°F) for 30 days.
“Shipping and long-term storage conditions are at standard freezer temperatures of -20°C (-4°F) for six months while mRNA-1273 to be distributed using widely available vaccine delivery and storage infrastructure.
“Once the vaccine is removed from the refrigerator for administration, it can be kept at room temperature conditions for up to 12 hours.”
The NPHCDA boss said the vaccine await efficacy test evaluation by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC), noting that it would take 48-hours for the evaluation results to be out before inoculation.
The US government representative, Dr Melissa Freeman, said the vaccine doses was part of a donation to boost the country’s vaccination rollout campaign.
Also, the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative, Dr. Anne Baptiste, said the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was effective against several variants of concern including the delta variant.
Baptiste added that the Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine shows a promise to protect against other COVID-19 impact including hospitalisation.
Mr. Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Nigeria Representative, said the donation would contribute to the country’s expanded vaccination programme, which was fast gaining momentum to reach more people.
He said these life-saving vaccines arrived at a time the country gears to vaccinate 110 million Nigerians.
The US President Joe Biden in June, announced a donation of 500 million doses of vaccine to the world’s poorest countries to help speed the pandemic’s end, with “no strings attached.”
The vaccines are being brought in through COVAX, the international aid initiative that seeks to ensure global access to vaccines.
The U.S. government shipped nearly 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to two of the most populous African countries – Nigeria and South Africa – as the continent battles the third wave of infections.
The initiative is part of the collaboration between the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), COVAX, and the U.S. government, with the African Union Member States set to receive about 25 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to enhance coverage across the continent, and vaccinate at least 60 percent of the African population.
The doses, which arrived on two planes on Sunday, at about 2:15 am of August 1 were received by UNICEF officials on behalf of Nigeria at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The delivery was the second batch of vaccines to arrive in Nigeria after four million doses were delivered in March under the COVAX vaccine sharing Facility.
COVAX was set up to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines, particularly to low-income countries, and has already delivered more than 80 million doses to 129 territories.