TheCable

The United Kingdom donated 592,880 additional doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Nigeria.

The development brings the total number of COVID vaccine doses donated to Nigeria by the UK, via the COVAX facility, to 1,292,640 doses.

On August 16, Nigeria took delivery of 699,760 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine donated by the UK.

According to a statement by the British high commission, on Thursday, the recent batch of vaccine doses delivered to Nigeria are part of over five million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine donated by the UK through COVAX.

Since July 2021, the UK has donated nine million COVID vaccines around the world.

Speaking on the development, Gill Atkinson, acting British high commissioner, said the donation is part of efforts to contribute towards ending the coronavirus pandemic.

“The UK continues to promote global efforts to help every country receive the vaccine against Covid-19. I am so pleased to see Nigeria receive an extra 592,880 doses donated by the UK, which brings the total this month to 1,292,640 doses,” she said.

“This will help Nigeria meet its urgent need for vaccines. Only by vaccinating more people around the world can we bring an end to the global coronavirus pandemic.”

On his part, Seth Berkley, chief executive officer of GAVI, a global health alliance made up of organisations within the public and private sector, said the donation will also help to address vaccine equity.

“These latest shipments of U.K.-donated doses means more people will benefit from life-saving vaccines. We thank Britain for its support for COVAX and its objective to make sure the most vulnerable, everywhere, are protected against the virus,” Berkley said.

On August 1, the federal government received 4.08 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the United States.