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Fake COVID-19 vaccine is now in circulation globally and Nigeria said it is on high alert to stop such imports into the country.
During the state house briefing on Thursday, Nigeria health minister, Dr Osagie Ehanire said “Nigeria is purchasing COVID-19 vaccine only from known sources – COVAX, AVATT of the African Union and under the direct bilateral agreement with countries”.
Nigeria does not intend to buy COVID-19 vaccines from private sources or importers with unknown backgrounds. “It is too risky”, Ehanire said.
The NAFDAC had earlier said it has a gateway for any COVID-19 vaccines from South-East Asia to avoid fake.
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Nigeria’s first batch of 3.9 million vaccine doses from COVAX arrived on March 2, 2021, and the INTERPOL has sent out global alerts to warn against fakes.
The minister further explains that the administration of COVID-19 vaccines is the sole responsibility of the national National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA at this time.
Fake COVID-19 vaccine
Hundreds of fake COVID-19 vaccines were confiscated by Police in South Africa after the INTERPOL alert a few weeks earlier.
The Orange Notice from the INTERPOL warns law enforcement to look out for organized crime networks targeting COVID-19 vaccines.
The Police in China was also able to identify a network trading fake COVID-19 vaccines. They stormed the production base, where it seized over 3,000 fake vaccines and made some arrests.
It will decide when to fan out to other administrators.
- NAFDAC blocks South-East Asian COVID-19 vaccine from entering Nigeria to avoid fake
- Over 60% of the population in Africa require COVID-19 vaccine to achieve herd immunity
Ehanire also explains the status of domestic vaccine use in Nigeria. He said that there are Nigeria researchers in the vaccine space who need resources to go through the clinical trials.
Getting the resources and going through the clinical phases could take a year and until then, domestic vaccines use are on hold.
