We should get the COVID-19 vaccine by end of January – FG

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has revealed that by the end of January, Nigeria should be getting the Covid-19 vaccine.

He disclosed this during the 28th Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

According to him, a technical working group in the Ministry of Health is working on which vaccine will best suit Nigeria.

He said;

“We signed up for the advance market participation of the COVACC. We should get by January but there are two types of vaccines.There are those that have to be in ultra deep freezers, the MRNA type of vaccines. Freezers that must give you -80 °C.

“There is another type that can be in a deep freezer of -20 °C and then there is another type that can be in a refrigerator of 2 °C which is the regular refrigerator. The one that is a regular refrigerator is easy.

“We have many of such refrigerators all over our country. -20 °C would also be possible because we have freezers but the Ultra-cold freezers, we hardly have any in our country.

“Therefore to receive and store those ultracold vaccines will require for us to go and purchase those ultradeep freezers. So we are working on the costing that it might be. Which one shall we get first? If we are able to get the vaccine that works well and does not cost us too much, cost of storage and cost of delivery, that is the one we will like”