Buhari hails COVID-19 vaccine progress, calls for equitable distribution

President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to  an announcement by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech that an experimental COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90 percent effective based on initial trial results.

Consequently, Buhari called for equitable distribution of the vaccine globally upon approval for delivery.

The President made this known via his verified handle on the microblogging site, Twitter on Tuesday.

“I welcome the news that a Coronavirus vaccine has recorded 90% effectiveness in clinical trials. This is a major milestone. The world must now make great effort to facilitate equitable access and distribution of these vaccines, to protect people in all countries,” he said.

Meanwhile, CGTN reports that scientists, public health officials and investors have also welcomed the first successful interim data from a large-scale clinical test of the vaccine. However, mass roll-outs, which need regulatory approval, will not happen this year.

Pfizer and German partner BioNTech said they had found no serious safety concerns yet. Also, they expect to seek the U.S. emergency use authorization (EUA) later in November. The development significantly raises the chance of a regulatory decision as soon as December.

If granted, the companies estimate they can roll out up to 50 million doses this year; enough to protect 25 million people, and then produce up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.

Data gathered by Nigeria’s disease-fighting agency, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) shows that as at midnight; on Tuesday, November 10, 2020, Nigeria had reported 64,336 confirmed COVID-19 infections, the seventh-highest tally in Africa. It has also recorded 1,160 deaths from the disease.

Director General, NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu has also disclosed that there is still so much work for us to do globally in strengthening countries’ preparedness and response to health emergencies.