Nigeria’s National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed according to the rate of infection in each state.
The NPHCDA revealed the plan alongside the publication of the latest infection rates for the disease by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on its verified website on Saturday.
NCDC said it recorded 1, 585 new cases of the deadly Coronavirus with additional eight coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours.
According to NCDC, the country’s COVID -19 infections increased from 97,478 on Jan.8 to 99,063 on Saturday, indicating 1,585 new infections, and with eight additional COVID-19 related deaths over the last 24 hours.
Based on the rate of infections in each state, the distribution list of the COVID-19 vaccine indicated that Kano State will receive 3,557; Lagos, 3,131; Katsina, 2,361; Kaduna, 2,074; Bauchi, 1,900; Oyo, 1,848; Rivers, 1,766; Jigawa, 1,712; Niger, 1,558; Ogun, 1,473; Sokoto, 1,468; Benue, 1,423; Borno, 1,416; Anambra, 1,379; Zamfara, 1,336; Delta, 1,306;
Others were: Kebbi, 1,268; Imo, 1,267; Ondo, 1,228; Akwa Ibom, 1,161, Adamawa, 1,129; Edo, 1,104; Plateau, 1,089; Enugu, 1,088; Osun, 1,032; Kogi, 1,030; Cross River, 1,023; Abia, 955; Gombe, 908; Yobe, 842; Ekiti, 830; Taraba, 830; Kwara, 815; Ebonyi, 747; Bayelsa, 589; FCT, 695; Nasarawa, 661.
The NPHCDA said that though all of the states were getting less than 4,000 vaccines from the first batch, the federal government had advised that frontline workers, like those in the health and security sectors, be given priority, as well as the elderly.
The agency said that the vaccine, expected to be administered in January and February, would be done in compliance with WHO standards.
The government was targeting administering the vaccine on 40 per cent of Nigerians during the first batch this year, the agency said, pointing out that 30 per cent were expected to be done in 2022.
The agency also said the federal government was also sourcing for vaccines from other countries like Russia.
