The Nation Newspaper

Category: CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

  • WHO urges rollout of malaria vaccine for children in Africa

    WHO urges rollout of malaria vaccine for children in Africa

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday that the only approved vaccine against malaria should be widely given to African children, potentially marking a major advance against a disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people annually.

    The majority of people who die from malaria are children under age five.

    The recommendation from WHO is for RTS,S – or Mosquirix  –  a vaccine developed by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline.

    Since 2019, 2.3 million doses of Mosquirix have been administered to infants in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi in a large-scale pilot programme co-ordinated by WHO.

    The programme followed a decade of clinical trials in seven African countries.

    “This is a vaccine developed in Africa by African scientists and we’re very proud,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general.

    “This vaccine is a gift to the world, but its value will be felt most in Africa.”

    Read Also: Nigeria missing as UK recognises COVID vaccine certificates from over 50 countries

    Malaria is far more deadly than COVID-19 in Africa. It killed 386,000 Africans in 2019, according to a WHO estimate, compared with 212,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 in the past 18 months.

    WHO said  94 per cent of malaria cases and deaths occur in Africa, a continent of 1.3 billion people. The preventable disease is caused by parasites transmitted to people by the bites of infected mosquitoes. Symptoms include fever, vomiting and fatigue.

    The Mosquirix recommendation was jointly announced in Geneva yesterday by WHO’s top advisory bodies for malaria and immunisation, the Malaria Policy Advisory Group and the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation.

    Yesterday, nearly six years later and two years after the start of the pilots, WHO panels recommended the vaccine be rolled out for children across African nations where malaria is endemic, alongside the other authorised means of preventing malaria such as bednets and spraying.

    The vaccine’s effectiveness at preventing severe cases of malaria in children is only around 30 per cent, but it is the only approved vaccine. The European Union’s drugs regulator approved it in 2015, saying its benefits outweighed the risks.

    In late 2015, the WHO expert panels called for a pilot program in three to five African countries to inform a future decision about widespread use of the vaccine.

     

  • Moderna vaccine’s use halted in Sweden, Denmark over possible side effects

    Sweden and Denmark have announced that they are temporarily halting the use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for younger people.

    The Swedish Public Health Agency said the suspension would last until December 1, and that the agency had taken this step after receiving evidence that the vaccine carried an increased risk of side effects such as myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium).

    “The Public Health Agency has decided to pause the use of Moderna’s vaccine Spikevax, for everyone born in 1991 and after, for cautionary reasons,” the agency said in a statement.

    Instead, the age group in question is expected to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

    Read Also: MacArthur-supported COMCOVID project takes off in Lagos, Osun, Oyo

    The agency also noted that “the risk (of side effects) seemed especially tied to the second dose of the Moderna vaccine and was more prevalent among young men and boys, and in the weeks just following the second jab,” the media outlet reported.

    Denmark declared that it was already using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, Comirnaty, for people aged between 12 and 17 and it joined Sweden in recommending Pfizer/BioNTech as an alternative for other age groups.

    “In the preliminary data … there is a suspicion of an increased risk of heart inflammation, when vaccinated with Moderna,” the Danish Health Authority said in a statement, quoted by Reuters.

    The organisation reportedly referred to data from an unpublished study, which is to be sent to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for further assessment.

     

  • MacArthur-supported COMCOVID project takes off in Lagos, Osun, Oyo

    MacArthur-supported COMCOVID project takes off in Lagos, Osun, Oyo

    COMMUNITY Collectives and Citizens led Action Against COVID-19 Project (COMCOVID) has taken off in Nigeria.

    The project is being implemented as a part of Citizen’s Action and Accountability for COVID-19 (CAAVID) project led by African Health Budget Network (AHBN) in partnership with Centre for Health Sciences Training, Research and Development (CHESTRAD).

    With funding support from the MacArthur Foundation, the project will be piloted in three Southwest states, namely Lagos, Osun and Oyo.

    Implementation of COMCOVID activities will be coordinated by CHESTRAD, a global, non-state, not-for-profit social enterprise organization registered as a corporate limited Guarantee in Nigeria. CHESTRAD’s Programme Officer, Miss Heritage Oni, confirmed that COMCOVID activities will be implemented for initial period of 18 months.

    The project will engage stakeholders across the three states through citizens-led action on access to COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccination.  Project activities will further build on efforts at sub-national platforms towards effective responses to COVID-19 infodemic; vaccine hesitancy as well as access to vaccination and essential life-saving immunisation.

    Read Also: COVID-19: Edo records five new deaths

    Four citizens’ hubs will be set up in Osun State with each in Ife Central, Ife South, Ilesa East and Oriade Local Government Areas. The four hubs in Lagos State are to be sited in Epe, Eti-Osa, Lagos Island and Lagos Mainland Local Government Areas. The two hubs in Oyo state are to be located in Ibadan South West and Ibadan North Local Government Areas.

    COMCOVID activities will deploy advocacies and policy dialogues to promote integration of COVID-19 interventions into Public Health Care (PHC) systems and promote a robust platform for epidemic preparedness and response in the three focal states.

    The comprehensive goals of the project are to expand the coverage of COVID19 interventions and support vaccine introduction through citizen’s action, infodemic management and integrated PHC policy development as well as engaging and influencing policy actions with respect to accountability by impacting the role of media including social media influencers towards dispelling misinformation on COVID-19 vaccines.

    Implementation of COMCOVID activities is expected to contribute to improved citizen’s action against COVID-19; support infodemic management to reduce vaccine hesitancy and support vaccine roll out; engagement with policy actions towards integrating COVID-19 response into national and sub-national PHC systems; strengthening of accountability for COVID-19 interventions; and put in place a broadly accessible learning hubs to support not only wider access but sustained actions.

    COMCOVID implementation will also draw useful lessons from polio campaigns, HIV and previous immunizations efforts which buttress the far-reaching significance of citizen’s action and PHC systems integration in entrenching sustainability of interventions.

    It will focus on critical areas of concern and enhance the prospects of cascading its outcomes into a broader citizens led actions for addressing vaccine hesitancy, infodemic management and accountability.

    COMCOVID activities will deliver citizens’ hubs in some local government areas across the three pilot states towards expanding community reach and strengthen collaborative action across participating citizen’s platforms.

  • 46 die in one week as cases slow down

    •Recoveries drop by 38 per cent

    By Moses Emorinken, Abuja

    A LATEST epidemiological report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) showed that in one week – between September 26 to October 2 – 46 Nigerians died from the ravaging COVID-19 disease, increasing from 2,677 to 2,723 deaths.

    Although no death was reported on October 2, the death toll has continued to increase, while the average number of confirmed cases have hovered around 250, with the total number of confirmed cases of infection in one week being 1,608.

    Investigation by The Nation revealed that asides increasing death rate, recoveries have dropped by 38 per cent, from 2,059 two weeks ago to 1,273 recoveries as of October 2, 2021.

    The above data gives credence to the reality of the Delta variant of the virus – being more infectious and severe – driving the third wave of the pandemic across the country.

    Speaking to The Nation, the Director General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said: “We are currently in the middle of the third wave of COVID-19 in Nigeria. Transmission is driven mainly by the Delta variant, which has been associated with increased transmission. There will be occasional increases and decreases in the number of deaths, but generally the case fatality ratio has stayed below 2 per cent.”

    To avoid being infected and protecting oneself and loved ones, the Federal Government has urged Nigerians to ensure that they get vaccinated at a nearest designated health facility.

    Also, it has continued to urge all to adhere strictly to the non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) of regular hand washing with soap in flowing water, hand sanitising, properly wearing the facemask, avoiding large gatherings, and practising social distancing.

  • I spent over N6m to treat COVID-19 – Pete Edochie’s son

    Uche Edochie, son of Veteran Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie has said that he spent over N6 million to treat COVID-19 at an isolation treatment facility in Gbagada in Lagos.

    Edochie took to his Instagram page @ucheedochie to share and announce his recovery experience.

    He stated that the  facility where he was treated charged him N350,000 per day and was there for twelve days before being moved to First Cardiology Centre in Ikoyi for lung and heart rehabilitation.

    The total cost of his  treatment had exceeded N6 million, he said, adding that many people died of the virus because of the high cost associated with its treatment.

    “COVID costs a fortune and I know a guy whose treatment cost N17 million. When I fell sick weeks ago, I thought I had malaria, so I spent the first couple of weeks treating malaria.

    “By the time I realised this could be something else, it was too late and I was rushed to the hospital with eighty percent of my lungs damaged.

    “I couldn’t eat or breathe and I was on oxygen for weeks; I could not walk either, including having severe chest pains. It felt like I was dying and waking up over and over again, I have never seen anything like this,” Uche said.

    Read Also: 59 die of COVID-19 in seven days – NCDC

    The actor’s son  said it was the first time in his life that he had no control over anything.

    “I felt like I was on a boat drifting away in the still of the night rudder less.

    “The days that followed passed by slowly and everything was a blur and I remember lying in the hospital floating endlessly like a feather in an abyss of nothing.

    “The days turned to weeks and my recovery was going well. I am fully cured of COVID now and I am able to walk a little,” he said.

    He added that his  lungs would take months to heal completely, but he was currently on oxygen and other medications.

    Uche urged governments to invest in affordable treatments, to prevent more people from dying of the virus, while lamenting that in spite of the lockdown, wearing of nose masks and vaccines, the virus was still spreading.

    “Even those vaccinated are still catching it, but thank God I am back home,” he said.

    He thanked his  family members and healthcare workers for their incredible support, saying, “In all these people, I saw the face of God and I will never forget. (NAN)

  • COVID-19: Nigeria expects 52m doses of vaccines in 2022

    Agency Reporter

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF),Mr Boss Mustapha, says Nigeria is expected to receive a total of 52 million doses of vaccines for Coronavirus (COVID-19) by the second quarter of 2022.

    Mustapha, who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 disclosed this while speaking at the national briefing of the PSC in Abuja, on Monday.

    “The most potent way of getting out of this situation is through vaccines, which science and research have presented to us. I call on every eligible person to come out and be vaccinated.

    “There are various choices now. We have AstraZeneca, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson and we expect Pfizer to be delivered very soon.

    “There will be enough vaccines to go round soon. By the second quarter of 2022, we would have received about 52 million doses of the vaccines,” he said.

    Read Also: N194bn COVID-19 allocations to Delta, Enugu, Kaduna, Sokoto missing — BudgIT

    According to him, efforts are ongoing to implement the policy on Vaccine Mandate for all Federal Public Servants. This is to ensure safety in the workplace and at home.

    On travels, he said, “to ease travels for fully vaccinated Nigerians, we are exploring the principles of reciprocity between Nigeria and other nations.

    “For the time being, Nigerians are advised to always carry their vaccination card details or barcode on their electronic devices for easy access especially for those travelling outside the country.

    “The ministries of Foreign Affairs and Aviation will continue to dialogue with the representatives of the UAE to resolve the issue of the Emirates flights between Nigeria and the UAE.

    “The protection of the interest of Nigerians remains our primary focus.”

    The Chairman PSC also said the PSC would likely review current protocols laid down for quarantine as control remains a source of worry.

    According to him, compliance with protocols laid down for quarantine to ensure control remains a source of worry to the PSC.

    “The need to review the protocol has become expedient to align with existing global protocols and realities.

    “On this note, the PSC will adopt a sustainable model and policy that will be unveiled soon. To begin with, India has been removed from the list of flagged countries in view of improved situation in that country,” he said.

    He appealed to the health workers to call off the ongoing strike.

    “On the heels of Mr President’s intervention in the health sector, I want to use this opportunity to appeal to our health workers to consider the health situation in our country and call off their strike while the government continues to look into all matters that will improve the system, processes and welfare,” he said. (NAN)