Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has emerged as the ‘first Nigerian’ to receive the Pfizer/BionTech COVID-19 vaccine.
Bibian Anekwe News reports that the vaccine is meant to prevent the former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from contracting the deadly pandemic.
In a statement on Thursday, Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, said his principal received the vaccine in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Ibe said the former vice president is anxiously looking forward to when Nigerians, especially medical professionals in the frontline and the most vulnerable will be vaccinated in the country.
He said: “The importance of the #COVID19 vaccine in mitigating the effect of the coronavirus cannot be overstated, particularly in Africa and Nigeria. Yesterday (Wednesday), as part of the mass vaccination programme, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
“He is anxiously looking forward to when Nigerians, especially medical professionals in the frontline and the most vulnerable will be vaccinated in the country.”
This news platform had reported that the federal government says it has put in place the machinery for receiving 20 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in early 2021.
Executive Secretary, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Faisal Shuaib, broke the news at the presidential task force on COVID-19 media briefing in Abuja on December 10, 2020.
He said Nigeria is a member of COVAX, an international coalition, under the WHO umbrella. Shuaib added that 92 countries came together to ensure access and safety of vaccines.
He said the expected 20 million doses will first be given to workers in the health sector and vulnerable citizens.
“We are on course to access safe vaccine in the first quarter of 2021. We will be leveraging the polio platform to ensure the effective delivery of vaccines to our vulnerable population.
“We have established a supra-ministerial advisory committee to ensure a seamless administration. A technical group meets every week and has devised a risk communication plan to deliver safe vaccines to Nigerians,” he had said.
