AU Hands Over 177,600 Doses Of Covid-19 Vaccines To Nigeria

The African Union (AU) on Monday handed over the first shipment of 177,600 of Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccines doses.
The Tide source reports 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), Prof. Benedict Oramah,while handing the vaccines to the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC), on Monday in Abuja, said “that the vaccine acquisition by AVAT was a unique milestone for the African continent.
The 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 dollars against 10 dollars 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 added that Afreximbank was pleased to have contributed in the historic procurement of vaccines by AVAT.
He noted that this was the first shipment of 177, 600 doses of the J&J single dose vaccines into Nigeria.
He said that Nigeria would be receiving the over two million vaccines doses in batches.
“In August a total of 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 & Prevention, and the AU for their invaluable contribution to achieving this milestone’’, he noted.