FG Partners WHO, NCDC to Access Monkeypox Vaccination

FG Partners WHO, NCDC to Access Monkeypox Vaccination

The federal government has said that it is collaborating with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to see how Nigeria can access the global stockpile of monkeypox vaccination to arrest the outbreak of the disease.

The government’s move came just as the National Primary HealthCare Development Agency (NPHCDA) said that it has vaccinated 30,327,550 persons with the first dose.

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It said that the figure of the first dose vaccination represented 23.9 per cent of the country’s eligible population, while 14,629,451 persons have received their second dose.

According to the agency, 18,291,072 were fully vaccinated, which represents 16.4 per cent of Nigeria’s eligible population, while 1,229,909 persons have received their booster doses.

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The Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, who spoke to journalists at the flag-off of COVID-19 vaccination at Community Pharmacies on Tuesday in Abuja, said the federal government is presently emphasizing on strict observation of public health safety measures to limit the spread of monkeypox disease across the country.

The NPHCDA boss said the agency is working with the US NCDC to make sure that all of the strategies to limit its spread were put in place.

“We are also engaging the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centre for Disease Control to see how Nigeria can also access the global stockpile of monkeypox vaccination.

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“Until the vaccines are available, government is emphasizing the use basic measures to limit the spread of monkeypox disease,” he said.

He solicited the support of the media to sensitize Nigerians on ways to avoid being infected.

While speaking on the rollout of the vaccination in community pharmacies, Shuaib said the whole essence of collaboration with community pharmacists is to ensure that vaccination and immunization activities are brought down to the grassroots level for 24 hours per day.

He said the aim is to collaborate with community pharmacists to improve COVID-19 vaccination coverage.

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Shuaib, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Presidential steering committee had launched the S.C.A.L.E.S 2.0 as one of the national strategies for COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

He explained that the S.C.A.L.E.S. strategy entailed the expansion of vaccination sites beyond government health facilities to include private health facilities and community pharmacies in line with global best practices.

“It is as part of this laudable initiative that we are here today to officially launch this exciting collaboration between the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria and the NPHCDA.

….US Debunks Setting up Laboratories in Nigeria

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The United States Government has said there are no ‘US-controlled laboratories’ on monkeypox in Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Temitayo Famutimi, Information Specialist, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, in Lagos.

The statement added that such reports were pure fabrication and misleading. There had been series of social media posts speculating that the origin of the current global outbreak of monkeypox disease emanated from US-controlled laboratories in Nigeria.

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