COVID-19 vaccinations having a short shelf life or those that cannot be provided on schedule are now being rejected by the federal government.
Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of Health, stated this in response to a revelation that one million COVID-19 vaccines had expired in the country.
The Minister added that they had used the majority of the approximately 10 million short-shelf-life doses of COVID-19 vaccinations that have been provided to them in a timely manner, saving N16.4 billion in foreign exchange.
Ehanire stated that developing nations like Nigeria accept surplus COVID-19 vaccines with expiration shelf lives “because they cover our essential vaccination supply gaps and, because they are free, save us scarce foreign exchange acquisition costs.”
To limit the risk of expiration, he also advised donors who see the need to give away unneeded vaccines before they expire in their own stock to start the process early and establish a well-oiled pipeline for timely shipment and distribution through the COVAX and AVAT facilities.
The Minister said;
“This dilemma is not typical to Nigeria, but a situation in which many Low- and medium-income countries find themselves.
“The Ministry of Health shares its experience with partners regularly and now politely declines all vaccine donations with short shelf life or those that cannot be delivered in time.
“With better coordination, vaccines need not expire in the stock of Donors or Recipients.”
Ehanire also revealed that a long-term solution to avoid COVID-19 vaccinations from expiring too soon is for the government to create its own vaccines, which would give it at least a 12-month shelf life.
He added;
“This is why the Federal Ministry of Health is collaborating with stakeholders to fast-track establishment of indigenous vaccine manufacturing capacity. This is a goal we are pursuing with dedication.”
