TheCable

The federal government has asked those who have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to go for a second jab.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Faisal Shuaib, executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), said the second jab will ensure full protection against COVID-19.

The executive director also urged Nigerians to continue to observe the measures put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

“We are advising all Nigerians who have received their first dose to check their vaccination cards for the date of their second dose, and ensure that they receive the second dose to gain full protection against COVID-19,” Shuaib said.

“Nigerians [should] continue to observe the public health or non-pharmaceutical measures in place to curb the transmission of COVID-19, as we are not out of the woods yet.”

According to him, about two million people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We have now provided the first COVID-19 vaccine doses to a total number of 1,929,237 Nigerians, representing 96 percent of the targeted population,” he said.

“In addition, we have begun providing second doses, and that number has reached 4,683.”

Shuaib added that the federal government is taking steps to protect Nigerians against the Indian variant of the virus.

“The federal government is taking significant precautions to protect Nigerians against B.1.617.2, known as the Indian variant,” he said.

“Flights from India and other high-risk countries such as Turkey and Brazil have been barred from entering Nigeria.

“We are ramping up our test and trace measures, and we are accelerating the national project to establish production of oxygen supplies across all states of Nigeria.”