Buhari, Osinbajo first to receives COVID-19 Vaccine on Saturday 

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo are expected to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses on Saturday.

Nigeria on Tuesday took delivery of 3.9 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, the first batch of the 16 million expected through the World Health Organisation-led COVAX facility.

The government is expecting 129 million vaccine doses to vaccinate 70 percent of its population within two years.

The consignment was received through the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja aboard Emirates Airlines.

The vaccine will be administered in two doses.

At the end of Tuesday’s ceremonies to mark its arrival, a few vials of the vaccines were expected to be handed over to the National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) team for analysis between today and tomorrow.

Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said: “Further to the clearance by NAFDAC, the PTF, FMOH, and NPHCDA, strategic leaders will be at the treatment center of the National Hospital on Friday, where the first vaccination site will be set up to commence the vaccination of frontline health workers and support staff. On Saturday, key strategic leaders will receive the first dose of the vaccine.

“On Monday, more vaccination sites would have been set up at designated locations such as National Assembly clinic, State House clinic and Federal medical center, Jabi, where leaders such as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Attorney General of the Federation, Inspector General of Police, the Ministers and Ministers of States, Senators, House of Representatives, traditional leaders and religious leaders will be vaccinated.