Nigeria is set to take delivery of 16 million doses of the Covax vaccine for the COVID-19 pandemic.This was disclosed by the United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday.Mr. Peter Hawkins, UNICEF country representative to Nigeria, made this known in Akure. He was speaking during a courtesy visit to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.Hawkins explained that more doses of the vaccine would arrive over the next few months; which he stated would ensure that the vaccine covered 20 per cent of the population of the country.“In the meantime, we are exploring how else to bring vaccines in with a view to allowing Nigeria to go to 40 per cent by the end of the year. This should be possible things being equal.“We are only halfway through. The pandemic will continue for another one or two years.“A lot has been done in ensuring that Nigeria secures the right level of vaccine and plans for the equitable distribution of vaccine are being taken through,” he said.
On his part, Akeredolu thanked UNICEF for the support given to the state over the years.However, the governor, who lamented the delay in the purchase of vaccine for the Nigerian populace; described the situation as unfortunate.He also appealed for assistance for a permanent solution to end open defecation in the state.Meanwhile, 1st News reports that the findings from a large-scale international trial are being hailed as a game changer in the UK for improving the health of people with obesity and could even play a major part in helping reduce the impact of diseases such as COVID-19.Specifically, the drug, semaglutide, works by hijacking the body’s own appetite regulating system in the brain; leading to reduced hunger and calorie intake, according to a study published on Thursday in the New England Journal for Medicine’.
One third (35 per cent) of people who took the new drug for treating obesity lost more than one-fifth of their total body weight; according to the major global study involving University College London (UCL) researchers and almost 2,000 trial participants in 16 countries.
