TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA
The Federal Government on Friday said it has received samples of Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine.
This is just as whole the world is jostling to find safe and effective vaccine to combat the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic that is ravaging the world.
Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire while receiving the samples vaccine on behalf of the Federal government, stated the vaccine would be “quickly referred” to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as well as the Nigeria Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), amongst other agencies, for review and possible validation.
He said that, Nigeria has been participating in series of knowledge exchange and contacts with different research bodies and countries to find solutions to the COVID-19 challenge and has contacted the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria for right of access immediately the Russian COVID-19 Vaccine was announced.
Ehanire stated that, a Ministerial Team is expected to be raised to continue further engagement with the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria on the vaccine as well as other areas of interests highlighted at the meeting.
Earlier, the Russia’s Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Alexey Shebarshin, delivered the samples to the Minister of Health said Russian-made COVID-19 Vaccine finally here.’
He further hinted that countries such as U.A.E, S/Arabia, Mexico etc have expressed interest in the Russian COVID-19 Vaccine and requested that Nigeria puts together a team to interface with his Embassy to drive the process of human trials not just for the Russian COVID-19 Vaccine but to explore further disease and health areas where the Russian Federation has expertise to manage with vaccines.
Shebarshin, however , said he was in the Federal Ministry of Health to formally hand over the Russian-made Vaccine against COVID-19 to Nigeria with an aide memoir which explains the details for Nigerian teams to study and get ready for further researches, patronage and application.
It would be recalled that, one of the National dailies had earlier reported that Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, saying, his country approved a vaccine offering “sustainable immunity” against the lethal coronavirus.
