The Federal Government has taken delivery of one million doses of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine donated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Speaking during the hand-over ceremony in Abuja on Thursday, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Muyi Aina, said the arrival of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine from Gavi is a testament to President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to protecting the lives of Nigerians
The World Health Organisation had in December 2023 added R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine to its list of prequalified vaccines.
In October 2023, WHO recommended its use for the prevention of malaria in children following the advice of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group.
The prequalification means larger access to vaccines as a key tool to prevent malaria in children with it being a prerequisite for vaccine procurement by UNICEF and funding support for deployment by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
The R21 vaccine is the second malaria vaccine prequalified by WHO, following the RTS, S/AS01 vaccine which obtained prequalification status in July 2022. Both vaccines are shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials, for preventing malaria in children.
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