By Edoamaowo Udeme
The US Ambassador to Nigeria Mary Beth Leonard has visited the National Strategic Warehouse to welcome the latest delivery of U.S.-government donated COVID-19 vaccines. She discussed COVID-19 vaccine storage and distribution with the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency Dr. Faisal Shuaib and his technical and warehouse staff.
This visit marks the most recent donation of 3.2 million Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines by the United States to Nigeria. These vaccines have over 6 months of validity before expiration and are being stored at the National Strategic Warehouse for distribution to thousands of COVID-19 vaccination sites nationwide. During the visit, Ambassador Leonard inspected the vaccine doses and discussed how the agency is maintaining proper ultra-cold storage, as safe and effective vaccines are our best tool to ending the pandemic.
The latest shipment reflects the United States’ commitment to purchase and donate 1.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses worldwide. To date, the United States has delivered more than 370 million vaccine doses to over 110 countries. This includes the over 24.7 million U.S-donated doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Nigerian people. It is important to note that all U.S.-donated Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses to Nigeria have had an expiration deadline of at least 6 months or more upon receipt to ensure adequate time for use.
Vaccine donations are a part of the U.S. government’s continued partnership with the Government of Nigeria in combating COVID-19. To date, the U.S. government has provided over $130 million of technical and financial support to Nigeria’s COVID-19 response specifically for vaccination roll out and administration, deployment of personnel to support the response, last mile delivery and supply chain logistics, epidemiological and vaccine related COVID-19 surveys and surveillance systems, testing capacity and molecular lab networks, personal protective equipment, and provision of rapid response teams. The U.S. government has also contributed to the training of over 200,000 military and civilian personnel on COVID-19 control measures and maintaining preventive health and social services.
The U.S. government urges all Nigerians to go out and get vaccinated to make themselves safe and make use of the donated COVID-19 vaccines. These actions will strengthen not only the health and well-being of the nation but the overall worldwide response to the pandemic. Every individual plays a vital role in supporting the global effort needed to stem the spread of COVID-19. The U.S. government will continue its partnership with the Nigerian Ministry of Health and Centre for Disease Control to defeat COVID-19 and deliver life-saving vaccine doses across the country via COVAX
