Nigeria reaches 70% COVID-19 vaccination target, Official confirms
Nigeria has successfully reached its goal of fully vaccinating 70% of its population against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Bassey Okposen, Director of Disease Control and Immunization in the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to him, Nigeria had aimed to fully vaccinate 70% of its eligible population by December 2022, and it has achieved this goal.
“The 70 per cent coverage with COVID-19 vaccines in all countries is a global imperative. In Nigeria, 70 per cent of eligible persons in Nigeria are fully vaccinated against COVID-19”, Dr. Okposen stated.
He said that 80% of eligible persons in the country had at least partially received the COVID-19 vaccine and that 17.5 million fully vaccinated individuals in Nigeria had received additional COVID-19 vaccines as booster doses.
As of October 1, 132,212,099 vaccine doses had been administered in the country.
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Dr. Okposen said that six states had achieved 100% of the target population vaccinated in the country. These states include Nasarawa, Jigawa, Osun, Kaduna, Kano and Adamawa.
He added that this milestone was a crucial step in the country’s efforts to combat the ongoing pandemic and safeguard the health and well-being of its citizens.
“With an unwavering commitment to public health, Nigeria’s vaccination campaign has surpassed expectations, demonstrating the nation’s determination to control the spread of the virus and protect its population from the devastating impacts of COVID-19,” he said.
Dr. Okposen explained that vaccinating 70% of a country’s population against COVID-19 means that a significant number of people have received the required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“This level of vaccination coverage is often considered a crucial milestone in achieving herd immunity and controlling the spread of the virus within a population,” he said.
“This level of vaccination coverage is often considered a crucial milestone in achieving herd immunity and controlling the spread of the virus within a population.
“Herd immunity, also known as population immunity, occurs when a large proportion of a community becomes immune to a disease, either through vaccination or previous infection.
“When a high percentage of the population is immune, it creates a barrier that prevents the virus from easily spreading from person to person.
“This not only protects those who are vaccinated but also provides indirect protection to those who are unable to receive the vaccine due to medical conditions or other factors,” he explained.
He also stated that by vaccinating 70% of the population against COVID-19, a country greatly reduces the risk of widespread transmission, severe illness, and death caused by the virus.
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