Boosting COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Nigeria

At Nizamiye Hospital, a private facility in Abuja, a nurse administers a second COVID-19 dose to a recipient. Turnout for second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine – which begun on 24 May 2021 – has been impressive, the hospital authorities say. Nigeria received 3.9 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX Facility, which is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and WHO in partnership with UNICEF. As of 6 June 2021, the country had administered over 2.3 million doses: about 1.96 million had received the first dose and 336 500 the second.

Public health facilities are also gearing up to receive people arriving for their second shots. At the government-run Family Health Municipal Clinic in Abuja, data officers sort out duplicate vaccination cards of those who had received the first dose. The manual recording and duplicate cards are used against the electronic database to cross-check the eligibility of those who show up for the second doses.

To expand the vaccine rollout in the Federal Capital Territory, health authorities plan to set up 94 vaccination posts in hospitals, primary health care centres, public health offices across the six local government areas in the state. Thirty mobile vaccination posts will also be set up and deployed to strategic locations, with 181 vaccination teams to administer the second dose over 40 days. The Federal Capital Territory has so far administered over 131 000 first doses of the AstraZeneca Vaccine.

“We have been enlightened to sensitize our people that COVID-19 is real even before the availability of the vaccine, and now that the vaccine is available, we are still willing to continue educating them on the importance of the vaccine,” says His Royal Highness, Alhaji Dr Usman Nga-Kupi, the traditional chief in the Federal Capital Territory.
“Being in-charge of the grassroots, I invited my chiefs, the district heads and the village heads to take the vaccine so that the subjects will know that the vaccine is not harmful. The action is to disabuse the minds of the people who believe the vaccine is harmful as there have been many rumours around the safety of the vaccine. I have taken the first dose, and this has boosted my immunity. I am looking forward to taking the second dose alongside my chiefs,” he says.

Dr Mohammed Kawu, the Acting Secretary of the Health and Human Services Secretariat in the Federal Capital Territory says the inclusion of private health institution in the campaign is to reach part of the 20% of the Nigerian population who visit private health facilities. Nigeria has almost completed administering all the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine received from the COVAX Facility. Administration of second doses is now underway.

“I know the importance of the vaccine and have been advocating that everyone around me receive the jab if they get the opportunity to do so. I travel a lot, and I know it is now a requirement to travel out of the country, so why delay?” says Martin Atojoko, who recently received his second dose.