Nigeria successfully met its ambitious target of fully vaccinating 70 per cent 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), said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday in Abuja.
NAN reports that Nigeria had a target of fully vaccinating 70 per cent of its eligible population by December 2022.
"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," he said.
He said that 80 per cent of eligible persons in the country were at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19 and 17.5 million fully vaccinated persons in Nigeria have received additional COVID-19 vaccines as booster doses
He said that as of Oct. 1, 132,212,099 vaccine doses have been administered in the country.
He said that six states have achieved 100 per cent of the target population vaccinated in the country.
"These states are Nasarawa, Jigawa, Osun, Kaduna, Kano and Adamawa," he said.
He said that the milestone marks 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.
He said that vaccinating 70 per cent of a country's population against COVID-19 means that a significant portion of the population has 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.
"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.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"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 said that by vaccinating 70 per cent of the population against COVID-19, a country greatly reduces the risk of widespread transmission, severe illness, and death caused by the virus. (NAN)
