The NigerianSLOTXOgovernment may have scrapped up to 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine last month because it "didn't get it in time" causing it to expire.
African governments are trying to find vaccines for their own people. After vaccination rates in the region are still very low compared to rich countries. And it makes citizens more vulnerable to mutations such as "Omicron" that are now spreading across southern Africa.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria, with a population of more than 200 million, is the largest in the African region. Recently, less than 4% of adults have been vaccinated.
However, with more vaccines being shipped to Africa, it creates "new problems" as many countries find themselves incapable of administering all vaccines. In particular, some vaccines have a relatively short shelf life.
A source told Reuters that Expired vaccines are "AstraZeneca" sent from Europe through the World Health Organization's COVAX program. And some were delivered just four to six weeks before the expiration date, preventing Nigerian health authorities from getting them injected to people. Despite trying my best
r0;Nigeria is trying to do everything possible. But the vaccine has too short a shelf life. The quantity delivered is uncertain. And sometimes they send too much,r1; one source told Reuters.
A spokesman for the Nigerian National Primary Care Health Development Agency, which oversees the distribution of vaccines, said officials were reviewing the number of vaccines received. and used vaccines which is expected to get clear numbers within the next 2-3 days
WHO admits some vaccines are actually expired but declined to give numbers. As for the vaccine that is at risk of expiration in October, the WHO has confirmed that it can be injected in time.
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