The Nigerian federal government has approved booster Covid-19 vaccine jabs for Nigerians who have collected two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Nigeria’s Primary Healthcare Development Agency announced that Nigerians who have collected Pfizer Bio-N-tech, Morderna, or AstraZeneca jabs are eligible for a booster jab, but it will be at least six months from the time they received their second dose.
This latest development came when Nigeria recorded its first case of the Omicron COVID variant.
NPHCD said that Nigerians who are jabbed with Johnson and Johnson can receive a booster Covid-19 vaccine two months after they receive their second dose.
Health Experts have advised all Nigerians to visit the nearest health facility or mass vaccination site for their booster doses as from December 10th, 2021 across the 36 states of Federation.
The Primary Healthcare Development Agency has yet to explain the reason for the interval period difference between the Johnson and Johnson vaccine and others.
They revealed that the booster dose will give ‘greater protection’ against the COVID-19 virus and they also advised that Nigerians at age 18 and above should take the booster dose.
Only 2% of Nigeria’s population of more than 200 million people has been fully vaccinated, and the authorities have blamed vaccine hesitancy for the low vaccination rate.
The CEO of Nigeria’s centre for disease control told reporters Yesterday they got enough doses to fully vaccinate up to 50% of Nigeria’s population.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian federal government has come up with measures to get more Nigerians jabbed in the country, which include mass vaccination, compulsory vaccination for civil servants, and public enlightenment campaigns.
