The federal government has reacted to a report stating that
one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria expired in November.
According to the report, the expired doses were AstraZeneca
COVID vaccine supplied via COVAX from Europe.
In a statement on Wednesday, Osagie Ehanire, minister of
health, said Nigeria has enjoyed donations of vaccines by other countries but
had communicated a problem of shelf life which leaves just a few months for
vaccines to be used.
The minister, however, said Nigeria had used over 10 million
doses of short-life vaccines, adding that expired ones had been destroyed as
the country does not utilise vaccines past their expiry date.
“Nigeria has, of late enjoyed the generosity of several,
mainly European countries, who have offered us doses of Covid-19 vaccines out
of their stockpiles, free of charge, through COVAX or AVAT facility,” the
statement reads.
“These donations are always acknowledged and thankfully
received: however, some of them had residual shelf lives of only few months
that left us very short time, some just weeks, to use them, after deduction of
time to transport, clear, distribute and deliver to users. If such vaccines
arrive back-to-back or are many, logistic bottlenecks occasionally arise.
“We appreciate the kind gesture of donors, but also
communicated the challenge of short shelf lives, whereupon some manufacturers
offered to extend the vaccine shelf life after the fact, by 3 months, a
practice that, though accepted by experts, is declined by the Federal Ministry
of Health, because it is not accommodated in our standards. Nigeria does not
dispense vaccines with a validity extended beyond labelled expiry date. We
continue to adhere to our rigorous standards.
“Donation of surplus Covid-19 vaccines with expiring shelf
lives to Developing Countries has been a matter of international discussion.
”Developing countries like Nigeria accept them because they
close our critical vaccine supply gaps and, being free, save us scarce foreign
exchange procurement cost. This dilemma is not typical to Nigeria, but a
situation in which many Low- and medium-income countries find themselves.
“Donors also recognize a need to give away unused vaccines,
before they expire in their own stock, but they need to begin the process early
enough and create a well-oiled pathway for prompt shipment and distribution
through the COVAX and AVAT facilities, to reduce risk of expiration. With
better coordination, vaccines need not expire in the stock of Donors or
Recipients.
“Nigeria has utilized most of the over 10m short-shelf-life
doses of Covid-19 vaccines so far supplied to us, in good time, and saved
N16.4B or more than $40m in foreign exchange. The vaccines that expired had
been withdrawn before then, and will be destroyed accordingly, by NAFDAC.”
The statement said the ministry 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”.
“The long term
measure to prevent such incident is for Nigeria to produce its own vaccines, so
that vaccines produced have at least 12 months to expiration. 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,” it said.
Rather than watch these vaccines expire on the shelf, can the FG make them available as Booster shots for those who have already taken their second and are willing to take a third?
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