TheCable

Nigeria on Tuesday recorded 519 COVID-19 infections. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Wednesday.

WHO: 5.7bn COVID vaccine doses administered globally — but only 2% in Africa

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Africa got only two percent of the 5.7 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses administered globally.

Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, disclosed this at a press conference on COVID-19 and vaccine equity in Africa on Tuesday.

He said only two countries in Africa have reached the 40 percent vaccination target, which is the lowest of any continent.

“That’s not because African countries don’t have the capacity or experience to roll out COVID-19 vaccines. It’s because they’ve been left behind by the rest of the world,” he said.

UK to offer COVID booster shot to vulnerable groups

The United Kingdom says it will offer COVID-19 booster shots to old and more vulnerable people.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he expects that the booster programme will tackle the spread of infections during winter without the need for another lockdown.

“We’re now motoring ahead with the booster programme … so that’s going to mean we’re going to be building even higher walls of immunisation of vaccine protection in this country,” Johnson said.

“When you’ve got a large proportion of the country, as we have now, with immunity, then smaller changes can make a bigger difference, and give us the confidence that we don’t need to go back to the lockdowns of the past.”

Africa CDC: Less than 3.5 percent of Africans vaccinated against COVID

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says less than 3.5 percent of Africans are vaccinated against COVID-19.

John Nkengasong, director of Africa CDC, who said this at a media briefing, added that the figure is far below the official target of 60 percent.

Nigeria records 519 infections

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 519 COVID-19 cases were recorded across the country on Tuesday.

According to the agency’s update for September 14, the new cases were recorded in 14 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

Lagos recorded 120 cases, followed by Ogun with 110 cases and Rivers with 74.

Other states are Edo (63), FCT (58), Oyo (31), Kaduna (15), Bayelsa (11), Cross River (11), Delta (11), Kano (5), Ogun (4), Plateau (3), Adamawa (2) and Gombe (1).

The agency said 18 persons died of the infection on Tuesday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 2,637.

The NCDC data indicate that 292 people were discharged after recovering from the virus.

The agency said a backlog of 110 infections and five deaths were reported from Ondo state on September 13 and 14.

Since the pandemic, 200,057 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed — out of which 188,719  persons have been discharged.

FG introduces ‘Sunday vaccination’, to administer doses in churches

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says the agency has introduced “Sunday vaccination”, which will focus on offering doses of the COVID vaccine in churches across the country.

Faisal Shuaib, NPHCDA executive director, disclosed this on Tuesday at a meeting with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), held in Abuja.

According to Shuaib, the NPHCDA has entered into a partnership with CAN on making doses available in churches, in order to promote COVID vaccination in the country.

“I am glad to inform you that from this second phase of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, we have introduced Sunday vaccination,” he said.

COVID-19 IN NIGERIA