Nigeria has received its first batch of 846,000 doses of the R21 malaria vaccine from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The official launch took place on Thursday in Abuja, attended by officials from the Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and development partners. Health Minister Ali Pate described the arrival of the vaccines as a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to eliminate malaria.
Related Stories Nigeria to receive first shipment of long-awaited malaria vaccines today WHO grants Gavi and UNICEF green light to procure Mpox vaccines ahead of EUL ruling He said the vaccines are an opportunity for every child to live a life free of the disease. “Every child that has a full course of the vaccine has an opportunity to live a life of health. A child who is immunized against the disease has an opportunity to live a life free of that disease.
So it’s a miracle, but it’s also a source of opportunity”, the minister said adding that ”They are safe and efficacious.” The minister noted that the vaccines are not enough for the population, and urged all Nigerians to take advantage of the limited availability and to discount misinformation for uninformed people who sometimes have their own agendas or may not understand what they are talking about. He stated that the vaccines will be distributed first to states with the highest malaria burden, including Kebbi and Bayelsa, and will complement existing treatments for the di.