Federal Government says only the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be approved as booster shots for Nigerians.
Last Friday, FG approved booster shots for Nigerians who have completed two doses of AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer BioNTech or one dose of Johnson & Johnson.
National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) had directed eligible Nigerians to visit health centres and mass vaccination sites from December 10 for their booster dose.
NPHCDA Executive Director, Faisal Shuaib, on Thursday, during the inauguration of the mass vaccination of refugees, migrants and internally displaced persons (IDPs), announced that the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine had been approved as booster shots.
“Following the detection of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Nigeria, the federal government reviewed the country’s vaccination programme and resolved to introduce the booster dose using the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine across the country,” Shuaib said.
The Agency’s spokesman, Yanda Muhammed, however, further clarified that Pfizer vaccine is the only booster dose recommenced by the Federal Government.
According to him, those who have received complete doses of other brands of the COVID-19 vaccine are eligible to take the Pfizer vaccine as a booster shot.
“Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccine recommended for booster vaccination regardless of previous brands of vaccines taken,” he said.