NCDC: Nigeria Incapable Of Producing #COVID-19 Vaccine—-Though the World Health Organization has given a go ahead for countries to give herbal medicine a trial in combating the Covid-19 pandemic, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Director-General, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu has however declared that Nigeria does not have the capacity for producing vaccines.
Dr. Chikwe said this on Monday during a TV program in Abuja, ensuring Nigerians that they will not lack access to the vaccines as soon as they are available in other countries like India.
According to him, this is because they will leverage on its sophisticated distribution system through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
He said: “The most important thing in short-term goal for a vaccine is access. We are part of a global coalition called COVAX that is working very hard to ensure equitable access across the world once these vaccines become available.
“There are two important criteria for vaccines – efficacy, that is if they work, and safety. Once this is proven, and we hope to get that data by the end of the year, then the next big issue is production capacity.
“We don’t have a lot in Nigeria; most of the production will likely happen in India and a few other countries. The third aspect will then be the distribution. That is where we really have a lot of capacity.”
