THE Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, has said no Russian vaccine for COVID-19 has arrived Nigeria.
The minister, who refuted earlier reports that the vaccine had arrived Nigeria, said the Russian Ambassador and Deputy Head of Mission, Alexey Shebarshin, only visited the ministry to give an update on the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to Mamora, the vaccine will first be tested, when it eventually arrives, by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
“We have not yet received the vaccine and, to the best of my knowledge, it is not yet ready. The Russian Ambassador and the Deputy Head of Mission only visited us to give us an update. Many other stakeholders joined the meeting virtually,” he clarified.
“When the vaccine is ready and we have received it, it will be subjected to the usual test by NAFDAC and other relevant authorities,” he added.
A statement by the Director, Information, Media and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health, Olujimi Oyetomi, said, “As expected, the issue on the front burner for discussion is the recently announced Russian-made vaccine against COVID-19. Alexey L. Shebarshin, who admitted that he is a non-scientist, said he was in the Federal Ministry of Health to formally hand over the aide-memoire, which explains the details for Nigerian teams to study and get ready for further researches, patronage and application.
“The consensus of decision reached was to quickly refer the vaccine to the necessary professional institutes and agencies of the Federal Ministry of Health, beginning with NAFDAC, NIPRD, and for a team of scientists and advisors to the ministry to get to work on possible patronage of the Russian vaccine to alleviate the plight of Nigerians under the COVID-19 pandemic.”
