Humans have been aggrieved by diseases transmitted from animals, history has proven this. From the 1998 Nipah virus in Malaysia to the 2014 Ebola virus across West Africa, the current coronavirus outbreak is the latest to have taken place in recent years. The World Health Organization has declared four global health emergencies over the past decade and research reveals outbreaks are becoming more common.
Now the pandemic is over but Covid 19 numbers are still counting, hence the importance of preparing all countries for Covid-19 vaccine introduction and the administering of the vaccine. Several organizations, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and partners are working together at the global and regional levels to develop and disseminate adaptable guidance, training, planning and monitoring tools, and advocacy materials and to provide technical assistance and support to countries. According to Achim Steiner, United Nation Development Programs Administrator–“We are already hard at work, together with our UN family and other partners, on three immediate priorities: supporting the health response including the procurement and supply of essential health products, under WHO’s leadership, strengthening crisis management and response, and addressing critical social and economic impacts.”
One of the initial resources developed is the Covid-19 VIRAT. This tool is intended to be used by Ministries of Health, with support from WHO and UNICEF Country Offices where relevant, to provide a roadmap for countries to plan for Covid-19 vaccine introduction and a structured framework for countries to self-monitor their readiness progress against key milestones. The Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) have oversight of regulatory checks and approvals for public delivery and the use of medicines and other critical health technologies, including vaccines, within their countries. All vaccines will need to be registered with these agencies, whose job it is to ensure that they meet the necessary standards for safety, quality, and efficacy.
National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has been working on Pre Covid- 19 vaccine by sensitizing Nigerians, CSOs groups among others, to make the dissemination of the vaccine stress-free. The vaccine is said to come into Nigeria in two batches. Based on WHO guidelines, the first batch of the vaccine will be prioritized among health workers in the first quarter of 2021. Then other frontline workers (Immigration Airport, personal at testing centres, targeted uniformed personnel), elderly aged groups, vulnerable individuals with Co-morbid conditions would also be prioritized due to their exposure to the virus. Nigeria plans to reach 70% of the population with the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of 2022.
Some of the advantages of taking this Covid-19 vaccination are: as immunity, Covid 19 vaccine will offer natural protection, facts have proven that wearing masks and social distancing help reduce chances of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, been vaccinated against covid -19 help to fight against the virus in one’s body if at any means one is being infected after vaccination.
CAVEAT Lawyers Alert hereby puts our readers on notice that this article is based on the writer’s opinion and does not necessarily represent the views of the organization except otherwise stated.