The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has commenced online registration of Nigerians who are interested in the COVID-19 vaccine.
NPHCDA yesterday launched the electronic registration platform to enable eligible Nigerians to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The government informed that it is employing a T.E.A.C.H strategy, which combines indigenous (traditional) approaches with modern technologically enabled systems of vaccination and leverage experiences gained during the polio immunisation programme.
The launch of the registration platform came just as the World Health Organisation (WHO) advised all countries to limit vaccination for now to persons above 18 years, until research and studies are completed on any possible effect on growing children.
Meanwhile, Nigeria today has taken delivery of the first batch of 3.92 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Speaking at the official launch of the T.E.A.C.H strategy for COVID-19 vaccination of eligible Nigerians and Electronic Management of Immunisation Data (EMID) in Abuja, the Executive Director/CEO of the NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said the vaccination process would be in four phases.
According to him, the first group is frontline health workers who are the first priority group of eligible populations to receive the first doses of vaccines arriving in the country.
The second are strategic leaders like the president, vice president, ministers, governors, and religious and traditional leaders.
According to him, the leaders are listed among those to receive the first doses of the vaccines in order to show to the public that the vaccines are safe and effective as validated by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
He said: “In phase one, healthcare workers, frontline workers, ports of entry (air, land, and sea ports), military, COVID-19 rapid response team (RRT), laboratory network, policemen, and petrol station workers and strategic leaders will be vaccinated first.
“Frontline workers include support staff such as cleaners, security staff, body handlers, drivers, waste managers, oil & gas workers, bankers etc.
“Next is phase two, which will comprise older adults aged 50 years and above, and those with co-morbidities aged 18-49 years of age. Phase three includes those in states/LGAs with high disease burden and who missed phases one and two, and phase four includes other eligible populations as vaccines become available.”
He explained that the e-registration process will make for easy and stress-free registration prior to vaccination.
He added that once an individual completes registration, a unique pre-vaccination identifier will be issued via the website – with which he or she will take to the vaccination site for proper identification before getting vaccinated.
He advised Nigerians to choose a health facility that is closest to them to get vaccinated.
Shuaib said individuals could assess the e-registration portal via the agency’s website – https://nphcdaict.com.ng/publicr.eg.
