The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA)in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) on Wednesday, December 22, destroyed one million, sixty-six thousand, two hundred and fourteen (1,066,214) doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The vaccines were part of the 2,594,100 doses of vaccines received on the 11th and 29th October of 2021.
According to the health agencies, the vaccines expired in November.
A total of million, five hundred and twenty-seven thousand, eight hundred and Eighty-six of the vaccines (1,527,886) were said to have been utilised.
The vaccines were destroyed at the Gosa Dumping site, about 2Km away from Idu Railway Station in Abuja.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, said the decision to destroy the vaccine followed several testing processes that were conducted.
Adeyeye added that it was necessary to protect Nigerians from being harmed.
On his own part, Executive Secretary of NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib said the vaccines came with a short life span, some as short as 2 weeks to expiration.
Faisal described the situation as unfortunate.
He added that while Nigeria appreciates the gesture of the donors, it was not in the interest of the country that vaccines with a short lifespan are sent to it.
