The Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, on Monday said the Federal government had concluded plans to get COVID-19 booster dose to help build a health level of anti-bodies.
This is as he said the committee was targeting to vaccinate about half of the nation’s population by the end of January 2022.
Mustapha spoke during the COVID-19 national briefing in Abuja.
He said, “The vaccination phase is being accelerated and the NPHCDA has concluded arrangements to roll-out a mass vaccination plan with effect from Friday, November 20, 2021.
“The PSC wishes to assure Nigerians that the NPHCDA has enough vaccines in the pipeline to vaccinate about 50% of the target population by the end of January 2022.
“Efforts are also ongoing to bring on board the booster dose so as to build a healthy level of anti-bodies.”
He also insisted that the vaccine mandate was in the best interest of the nation, adding that the PSC is planning to engage state governors.
Mustapha added, “In our last briefing, we announced the vaccine mandate for December 1, 2021. I would like to state that this is in the best interest of Nigeria looking at what is happening globally.
“We are gearing up to further engage with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to push through the mass vaccination programme and mandate for our citizens.”
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said Nigeria has so far tested 3,392,457 samples, out of which 213,147 were confirmed positive for COVID-19, while active cases are 4,447 and cases discharged till date are 205,732.
