The Federal Government on Monday launched an electronic registration platform intended to ease the process of vaccination for eligible Nigerians against the COVID-19 disease.
The platform code-named the ‘T.E.A.C.H’ strategy, combines both traditional and modern approaches, and will leverage on experiences gained during the polio immunization programs.
Executive Director/CEO of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, during the official launch of the strategy, re-echoed that the vaccination process will be in four phases.
“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 the phase two, which will comprise older adults aged 50 years and above, and those with comorbidities 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.
Dr. Faisal explained further that the e-registration process will make for easy and stress-free registration prior to vaccination, noting 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 added that during registration, Nigerians can choose a health facility closest to them to get vaccinated. He stated that individuals can assess the e-registration portal via the Agency’s website – https://nphcdaict.com.ng/publicreg.
In a separate remark, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said: “the World Health Organization has 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 or 18 years and below, except they have severe underlying illnesses where the benefits justify the risk.
“All countries are following this guideline and other global guidelines, as Nigeria will too. This is made more important by the fact that the target population for this vaccination, as we must remember, is not the usual cohort of children that Nigeria is used to, but this time, adults”.
He added that: “before the 4 million doses of AstraZeneca we are going to receive is expended, we shall be receiving more vaccines, so there should be no need for anxiety. We shall also be receiving other types of vaccines and all these will ensure that the entire vaccination administration will be sustained in a smooth way and will be applied nationwide – leaving no one behind”.
