Children between the ages of 16 and 17 have been granted permission to receive coronavirus jabs in Nigeria.
The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency said this in an advisory made on Thursday.
“The NPHCDA has given a waiver for persons aged 16 and 17 to receive COVID-19 vaccines if required for educational purposes,” the advisory read.
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Countries in Europe and the United States of America have also included children in the Covid-19 vaccine intake as there has been an increase in Covid-19 cases amongst children.
In the meantime, it has been discovered that the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus has been the most dominant strain so far and that low vaccination drive has led to an increased number of cases in most African countries.
The WHO Director of Emergency Preparedness, Dr. Abdou Laye Gueye, on behalf of the Regional Director, Dr. Moeti Matshidis in a virtual press briefing said:
“In countries experiencing a surge in cases, the fast-spreading Omicron variant has become the dominant type. While it took around four weeks for the Delta variant to surpass the previously dominant Beta, Omicron outpaced Delta within two weeks in the worst-hit African countries.
“Early indications suggest that Africa’s fourth wave has been steep and brief, but no less destabilizing. The crucial pandemic countermeasure badly needed in Africa still stands, and that is rapidly and significantly increasing COVID-19 vaccination. The next wave might not be so forgiving.
“So far, 30 African countries, and at least 142 globally, have detected the Omicron variant. The Delta variant has been reported in 42 countries in Africa. In West Africa, where COVID-19 cases are on the rise, the number of Omicron sequences undertaken by countries, including Cabo Verde, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal, is growing.
“In Cabo Verde and Nigeria, Omicron is currently the dominant variant. This year should mark a turning point in Africa’s COVID-19 vaccination drive. With vast swaths of the population still unvaccinated, our chances of limiting the emergence and impact of deadly variants are frighteningly slim.”
