No Covid-19 vaccines for under 18 – PTF

THE Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 has said that Nigerians under the age of 18 years will not receive the vaccines.

Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora, said that the Federal Government planned to cover 70 per cent of Nigerians within two years.

“In less than 24 hours, the first batch of AstraZeneca vaccines will arrive in Nigeria from the COVAX facility and will be deployed to vaccinate, first our critical frontline healthcare workers, who are providing essential care especially for severe COVID-19 patients, next to those who are highest risk of severe disease from COVID-19 infection and down to 70 per cent of Nigerians,” said Mamora.

He continued, “The World Health Organisation has advised all countries to limit vaccination for now to persons above 18 years, until research and studies are completed on any possible effect on growing children or 18 years and below, except they have severe underlying illnesses where the benefits justify the risk.” the global organisation advised.

Mamora restated government’s position that private organisations are not permitted to procure, distribute and administer the coronavirus vaccines.

To ensure smooth management of the four million vaccines arriving on Tuesday, Mamora said the PTF had approved the TEACH strategy and the electronic management immunisation system.

He said that the strategy called the TEACH approach harnesses all the benefits of Traditional, Electronic, Assisted and Concomitant House-to-house registration to optimise the use of innovative technology.

The Minister of State  said that the TEACH approach entails the traditional method of vaccinating target populations using desk review of available data sources, identifying the vaccination sites and roll out.

He described the strategy as innovative to ensure a smooth rollout so that no one was left behind.

Mamora warned against private importation of vaccines and emphasised that only the National Primary Health Care Development Agency would import and manage vaccines until further notice.