₦airaland Forum

Abuja — Findings from a research done by a team of local researchers have shown that some Nigerian spices and vegetables have properties that thwart coronavirus infection.
The study entitled "Identification of potentially effective local therapies" was funded with a TETFund intervention grant.
The objective is to identify chemical compounds, including medicinal plants, that can be repurposed or use to prevent or treat COVID-19 in the country.
One of the researchers, Professor Chinedum Babalola, listed the spices and vegetables as ginger, garlic, bitter kola, onions and lemon grass, etc.
Babalola, who is the vice chancellor, Chrisland University, Abeokuta, disclosed this yesterday at the ongoing one-week virtual meeting by the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) and Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPHARM).
"Some of them will attack the virus or symptoms," she said.
Babalola also listed existing drugs like chloroquine, ivermectin, azithromycin, and remdesivir, etc., as anti- COVID-19 remedies.
She, however, stressed the need to form a coalition of scientists to mobilise, harmonise and share resources to create jobs.
The director-general of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Dr Obi Adigwe, identified funding as a huge problem when it comes to research in the country.
He said, "Government has improved a little bit in terms of funding research, but over the past two and half years, we have realised that there is a deep-rooted problem in our society which has limited funding to research and development in Nigeria, and that is due to lack of understanding what research and development means to our society.
"Here in Nigeria and Africa, we have to fight to get our foot at the door, because we take research and development to the back row and that will not take us anywhere, hence the need for us to prioritise so that we can get the funding from development partners and foundations, outside government funding."

Over 600 intending pilgrims in Ogun have been vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of requirements for the 2021 Holy pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Alhaji Dauda Salau, Executive Secretary, Ogun State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board (OGSMPWB), disclosed this at the end of a two-day vaccination exercise in Abeokuta on Monday.
Salau said the vaccination was in compliance with the new health policy of Saudi Arabia and the directive of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
He added that the state government was concerned about the wellbeing and safety of the people, particularly those intending to perform the pilgrimage.
He urged the intending pilgrims to always comply with COVID-19 protocols and make themselves available for the second dose of the vaccine at the appropriate time.
"I am impressed with the large turnout of intending pilgrims who have received the COVID-19 vaccination.
"This is a positive indication and the present administration is determined to ensure that intending pilgrims from Ogun state are vaccinated against COVID-19 for their wellbeing and safety in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
"Let me add that after receiving the first dose of Astra Zeneca vaccine, you are expected to get another dose after a few weeks," he said.
Also, the Commissioner, South West Zone of NAHCON, Alhaja Basirat Akintunde, emphasised the importance of the vaccine.
Akintunde said that the exercise was free and safe for intending pilgrims, contrary to rumours in some quarters that the intending pilgrims were made to pay for the vaccine.
Similarly, Dr Surajudeen Olayinka, the state Immunisation Officer, Primary Health Care Board, affirmed the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
Olayinka allayed the fears of the general public on possible side effects, stressing that the vaccine had been subjected to laboratory tests.
"There is no need for worries as Astra Zeneca vaccine has been found to be safe and effective by relevant health authorities," he said.
In their separate remarks, two intending pilgrims, Mr Idowu Bashir and Mrs Salau Mutajero, expressed satisfaction at the health initiative, saying it would help safeguard them against the virus.

(CNN)First, the good news: The United States reported a record-high 4.6 million doses of vaccines administered in one day, according to data published Saturday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Amazing Saturday! +4.63M doses administered over total yesterday, a new record," tweeted Dr. Cyrus Shahpar, the White House Covid-19 data director. "More than 500K higher than old record last Saturday. Incredible number of doses administered."
The problem is that more than 75% of the US population isn't fully vaccinated, according to CDC data Saturday.
Now the bad news: For the third straight week, new Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations are increasing, according to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walenky.
"Cases and emergency room visits are up," Walensky said Friday. "We are seeing these increases in younger adults, most of whom have not yet been vaccinated."
The B.1.1.7 variant isn't just more contagious than the original strain of coronavirus -- it's now the dominant strain the US.
Experts say the B.1.1.7 variant might cause more severe disease and may also be more deadlier.
In the past week, the US averaged more than 68,000 new Covid-19 cases every day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
That's up more than 20% since the March 10 seven-day average.
Nationwide, more Americans age 18 to 64 have gone to emergency departments for Covid-19 complications, Walensky said.
She said the trends are "magnified" in one part of the country: the Upper Midwest.
"CDC is working closely with public health officials in this region to understand what is driving these cases and how we can intervene," Walensky said.

The governor made the comment when he kicked off the exploratory dialogue of the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) in the South West Geo-Political Zone.
The event came ahead of the summit convened by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to hold in September 2021.
The Federal Government, through Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, in collaboration with Oyo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, organised a dialogue series across the six geo-political zones in the country to tackle food security challenges.
Makinde, in his address at the event held in Ibadan, yesterday, said it was time to change the face of agriculture and agribusiness in the South West and Nigeria
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun, noted that the issue of food supply and surplus is key to reviving the crashing economy, hence the need for emergency food response that must be sustained and well funded.
He called on all stakeholders to change the face of agriculture by ensuring realisation of five action plans of ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all, shifting to sustainable consumption pattern, posting nature’s positive production, advancing equitable livelihoods and building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress.
“These are challenging times. In the past one year, we have witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects on our societies and economies and the entire food systems.
“The pandemic threatened the very existence of life for billions of people and threw millions of families into poverty and hunger around the world.
“As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for improved social protection and closing the gap of food security.
“Food and nutritional security, sound education as well as achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are foundations of a decent life. It was, therefore, high time we built an emergency food response that must be sustained and well funded,” Makinde said.
To accelerate achievement of the SDGs by 2030, the UN secretary general would convene the summit on food systems to help develop the future direction of global food systems and inspire other necessary actions.

The U.S. reached a milestone in its vaccination efforts on Wednesday, with new data showing that close to 25 percent of adults in the country have been fully vaccinated.
The data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also show that 40 percent of adults and 75 percent of seniors have received at least one dose.

Vaccination is one of the effective measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic. At present, it is still necessary to expand the amount of vaccine delivery and guide people to take the initiative to vaccinate. At the same time, the safety of the vaccine must be ensured.

With coronavirus cases continuing to drop along with COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations, large parts of California are reopening at a rapid clip.
On Monday, Los Angeles County entered the orange tier, which allows the further reopening of retailers, bars, breweries, bowling alleys and other institutions.

The opening of such places will greatly expand the risk. If there is a vaccination plan to enter the place, I think it is also a very good thing. At least the risk is reduced. Only when everyone works together can we effectively control it.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down the governor's statewide mask mandate in a 4-3 ruling.
"The question in this case is not whether the Governor acted wisely; it is whether he acted lawfully," the majority opinion read in part. "We conclude he did not."
Fearing more deaths statewide from Covid-19, Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, reissued several mask mandates recently, only to be rebuffed at every interval by Republicans in the Legislature.
Many conservatives have accused Evers of overreaching his authority and have filed suit.
“I applaud the court for ending this constitutional crisis,” state Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, a Republican, wrote on Twitter after the ruling.
“Today’s ruling vindicates the Legislature’s role and will expand freedom and opportunity for Wisconsinites," he wrote. "As we work to fully and safely reopen our state, we trust our residents to follow CDC guidelines when appropriate, get vaccinated when ready, and always employ common sense.”
Evers said he will continue to fight to keep residents out of Covid’s way.

(CNN)Donald Trump left President Joe Biden with many messes to clean up: A raging pandemic, a weakened economy and a cascade of foreign and domestic policies that diminished America's standing on the world stage.After two months in office, Biden has already done a superb job of bringing our country back. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan will jump-start our economic recovery and pave the way for schools to reopen, while enabling state and local officials to invest in infrastructure. And the vaccine rollout has ramped up, with experts projecting the United States could reach herd immunity this summer.
The US may be winning the race between vaccinations and variants — but the world is losing it. As the US recovery effort picks up steam, we have an opportunity to save lives while rebuilding our moral standing in the world post-Trump. To turbocharge the President's Build Back Better agenda at home and christen a new era of US foreign policy, we need to lead a global vaccination initiative to help the world beat back the pandemic, much like the Marshall Plan aided in Europe's recovery after World War II.
So far, only about six doses have been administered per 100 people worldwide and many countries will not reach herd immunity until 2023, if at all. That timeline doesn't even take into account the possibility that emerging variants could evade the vaccines. The longer it takes to achieve global herd immunity, the more likely it is that Covid-19 will become endemic.
To vaccinate the world faster, the US government needs to provide more funding for COVAX, the global vaccination effort led by the World Health Organization along with UNICEF and other organizations. The United States should also increase direct investments in vaccine manufacturing through public-private partnerships, which would create jobs, leverage vaccine diplomacy and support the biomanufacturing industry, possibly leading to cures for other illnesses as well.
But the chief bottleneck in vaccine production is not money but manufacturing capacity. The private sector has already increased its production by multiples, but it's still not enough to meet the global demand. Vaccines are, in the lexicon of economics, a public good. The market, left alone, is undersupplying a product that benefits the public at large. The federal government needs to support production more expansively, which will require contracts with pioneering biomanufacturers like National Resilience and a review of how to streamline the entirety of the supply chain, from vials to special syringes.
Investing in biomanufacturing — the production of biological products made from living cells — could benefit the US economy and cement our position as a leader in medical innovation. Biomanufacturers are capable of producing an array of pharmaceutical products, from vaccines to cell or gene therapies that could one day treat cancer or Alzheimer's. Given that my state of Massachusetts is already the top biopharma hub in the country, federal funding would help it to expand — from research and development to manufacturing — to become a global center for industrial biology.
Finally, controlling more vaccine production will give the United States greater leverage in vaccine diplomacy. Countries like Russia and China are already offering other countries access to vaccines in an attempt to further their interests. We should not let them set the norms or stakes for these negotiations. In Brazil, for example, China is using vaccine shipments to press for 5G access for the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei. The United States should be countering such strong-arming by providing its own vaccine supplies. Instead of extracting concessions, however, we can be building partnerships in public health, from the logistics of vaccine distribution to the training of medical workers.
As a student of history and the great-grandson of Harvey Bundy, one of the architects of the Marshall Plan, I don't propose this undertaking lightly. The world needs America to lead. The fight against Covid-19 is a transnational challenge that calls for vision and boldness. In the past, Americans have brought forth their best in times of crisis. After Trump abased our country on the world stage for four years, the United States can reclaim moral leadership through a Marshall Plan for vaccines.

According to Reuters, the Nigerian aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, made the announcement on Monday with Emirates flights now suspended until further notice.
Emirates told passengers last week that flights to and from Nigeria had been suspended in line with government directives but did not elaborate on the circumstances around the suspension.
Sirika told a news conference that Emirates had demanded passengers from Nigeria undertake three COVID-19 tests within 24 hours, according to Reuters, which led the government to suspend the carrier’s operations, with the exemption of cargo and humanitarian flights.
“To make us go through three tests within 24 hours does not make sense,” Sirika told the press, via Reuters. “Since they insist, their operations remain suspended.”
In a statement Emirates said: “In line with government directives, passenger flights to and from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) are suspended with effect from 18 March 2021 until further notice.
“Customers travelling to and from Lagos and Abuja will not be accepted for travel. Customers who have been to or connected through Nigeria in the last 14 days are not permitted to board from any other point to the UAE.
“We regret the inconvenience caused, and affected customers should contact their booking agent or Emirates call centre for rebooking. Emirates remains committed to Nigeria, and we look forward to resuming passenger services when conditions allow.”
It comes after Nigeria in February lifted a suspension of Emirates passenger flights imposed after the carrier sought additional COVID-19 tests for passengers from Nigeria.
In addition to requiring a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test before flying from Nigeria, the airline added an extra requirement of having a rapid test four hours before departure, Reuters reported.

Puerto Rico has been granted immediate access to $912 million in federal funds that had not been available to students in public and private schools on the island as a result of restrictions imposed by the Trump administration, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced Monday.
“The Department is committed to partnering with and supporting Puerto Rico in the efficient and effective use of department funds to serve Puerto Rico’s students, including to safely reopen schools and maximize in-person instructional time," Cardona said in a statement.
The new funds come less than two weeks after Puerto Rico reopened dozens of public and private schools for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
The aid was awarded after Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi sent a letter to Cardona on March 5 requesting immediate access to previously approved aid "in order to provide the necessary resources for the students of Puerto Rico," Pierluisi said in a statement.
"Our students have endured a lot, since the hurricanes from 2017 to earthquakes and the Covid-19 pandemic, and they deserve to go back to normal. These resources will provide the necessary funds to satisfy the needs of our students on the island," Pierluisi said in Spanish. "On behalf of our children, teachers, and the parents of Puerto Rico, I thank Secretary Miguel Cardona for his commitment to supporting Puerto Rico and President Biden for quickly granting Puerto Rico access to these federal funds."
These funds include $390 million approved under the CARES Act as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as additional aid from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund.
They also include all fiscal year 2019 department program grant funds, totaling $522 million, including funds under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, and Part B of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. 
The U.S. Department of Education will work alongside local officials to determine how the money can be used to address the academic, social, emotional and mental health needs of students in the U.S. territory, according to a spokeswoman for Republican Del. Jenniffer González, Puerto Rico's nonvoting member of Congress.

New York has its first case of a contagious coronavirus variant first found in Brazil, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in a statement Saturday.
The patient with the P.1 variant was identified at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, the governor's office said. The patient is a Brooklyn woman in her 90s "with no travel history," according to the statement.
Her potential local contacts were being tracked, according to Cuomo.
"The detection of the Brazilian variant here in New York further underscores the importance of taking all the appropriate steps to continue to protect your health," Cuomo said. "While it's normal for a virus to mutate, the best way to protect yourself is to continue to wear a well-fitted mask, avoid large crowds, social distance, wash your hands and get vaccinated when it's your turn."
Health officials maintained hope that vaccination would halt variants of the virus.
"This is a race between the vaccine and the variants, and we continue to make tremendous progress of getting shots in the arms of eligible New Yorkers," New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in the governor's announcement.

In Nigeria, the Covid-19 vaccination campaign began in early March and is expected to affect more than 200 million inhabitants within 2 years.
Under a tent erected in front of Abuja National Hospital, doctors and nurses received their first doses of AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine in front of dozens of journalists and cameras.
Dr Abdu Samad was among the first group of doctors to receive AstraZeneca vaccine in Nigeria: "We must avoid any false information on social media regarding the effectiveness of the vaccine. We must come and get the vaccine, that is which will help us ".
According to the National Primary Health Care Agency, around 50% of Nigerians have confirmed that they will take the vaccine. But in the streets of the federal capital, Abuja, reactions differ.
Christopher Malachi does not believe and therefore rejects any vaccination. “Seriously I'm not prepared to take the vaccine because I don't believe in the existence of covid-19 in Nigeria. So it's not possible for me because I don't trust,” he explains. he.
Others are well aware of the danger posed by the covid-19 pandemic and say they are determined to get vaccinated like Ijioma: " Everyone is looking for an opportunity to prevent the spread of the virus. If the vaccine is to help me to avoid being contaminated, why not ".
This is the first batch of 16 million doses of AstraZeneca / Oxford expected in Nigeria in the coming months. The most populous country in Africa is proposing to vaccinate at least 70% of its population over the age of 18 within the next two years.
And this is no small matter: achieving this figure promises to be difficult given the immense security and logistical challenges in this large country with more than 200 million inhabitants.
Other challenges: difficult weather conditions and in a country where the roads are impassable. Nigeria has officially registered more than 157,000 cases of COVID-19, and more than 1,900 deaths so far.

As vaccine distribution in the U.S. has ramped up, so has the misinformation blitz targeting Black communities.
A new video from anti-vaccination activists released online Thursday adds to what experts have called an effort to "weaponize" the outsize damage Covid-19 has done in communities of color.
The video was released by anti-vaccination activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was recently banned from Instagram for spreading Covid-19 vaccine conspiracy theories, and Republican megadonor David Centner. The hourlong film, which relies heavily on the U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee, promotes false claims that Covid-19 vaccination efforts are part of a larger, sinister experiment on Black communities.
A trailer for the video posted to Instagram had already been viewed more than 160,000 times by Thursday morning.
Brandi Collins-Dexter, a misinformation researcher and fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, said the notorious figures and false narratives in the documentary were recognizable. She said the film's incompatible narratives sought to take advantage of the pain felt by Black communities.
"They went from saying Covid is not an issue or problem to openly acknowledging that Black people are disproportionately impacted by it, then pivoting to fuzzy logic behind why you shouldn't vaccinate," she said.

The Director-General, World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, who began her historic visit to her home country, Nigeria, yesterday, promised that WTO will explore areas it can assist to Nigeria’s economy.
Okonjo-Iweala also assured that support for women and entrepreneurs is dear to her heart. The WTO boss, who is visiting the country for the first time since assumption of office, explained that Nigeria women and entrepreneurs, who have been playing active role in economic development of nations would receive WTO support.
The two-time former Nigeria’s Minister of finance arrived at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport at about noon, yesterday, where she was received by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Nasiru Sani Gwarzo and other top government officials.
The former Minister, in a short interview with the media at her Abuja private residence, gave insights into the consultation she would be having with government officials during her brief working visit.
Asked how WTO would assist Nigeria and Africa in the implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), she said WTO would explore ways to help Nigeria and Africa deepen volume of trade in the continent.
In a brief remark, Gwarzo revealed that WTO DG’s home-coming is a unique opportunity to express gratitude to Nigerians and the world at large for their huge support and roles played in her election.
Okonjo-Iweala officially resumed duty on March 1, 2021 at WTO headquarters located in Geneva, Switzerland. WTO is an international organisation responsible for managing and enforcing the rules of international trade.

The inclusion of family planning and cancer treatment into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was the topic of discussion when some health experts gathered in Abuja on Wednesday.

“The first rationale for family planning is in the interest of the mother and the child to reduce mortality,” the President of the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), Oladapo Ladipo, said at the two-day strategic advocacy retreat.

Mr Ladipo said the country’s maternal mortality ratio is shamefully high when compared to other developed countries.

He said Nigeria has not made any substantial progress in terms of health services to its citizens in the past decades.

“Inclusion of family planning into the scheme will improve acceptance and continued use of family planning to prevent unintended pregnancies through correct, consistent and social behaviour change,” President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Innocent Ujah, said.

Represented by the commissioner for health and human services, Benue State, Joseph Ngbea, Mr Ujah said the advocacy for these essential services will further strengthen advocacy to build political will for implementation.

Health Insurance Scheme
Due to the huge out-of-pocket spending for health services, which sometimes leave poor Nigerians in penury, the government established the NHIS in 2005

But despite billions pumped into the scheme since its inception, millions of Nigerians still lack access to quality healthcare.

About 70 per cent of Nigerians pay out-of-pocket for healthcare while those enrolled in the scheme complain of inadequate service delivery.

Rep. Zainab Gimba, Chairperson, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, African Region says the COVID-19 pandemic has worsen gender inequality in the world.
Gimba said this at an event to mark International Women’s Day in the House of Representatives on Monday in Abuja.
She said that the womenfolk were most
affected by the pandemic, as it has led to an increase in gender base violence.
“The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has brought substantial implication for gender-equality. Women are disproportionately affected by the pandemic and measures put in place to combat it.
“There are more women who have lost their jobs, many girl-child have drop out of school due to unwanted pregnancy, and gender based violence have increased,” she said.
She said that as members of parliament, there was need to ensure that every measures put in place by the government to combat the pandemic was gender focus.
” Efforts should be made to scale up access to finance and credit for women led businesses and to ensure more women participation in the decision making pyramid,” she said.
She urged the Federal Government to take conscious effort towards including women in developmental drive.
Gimba said that there was need to support efforts aimed at combating gender based violence and discrimination, stressing that citizens must be sensitised to have a change of orientation.
Speaker of House of Representatives Femi Gbajabuamila said celebrating women was like celebrating the future.


The government should fight for the rights and interests of women, provide them with help, protect women, let them also have equal rights, and crack down on violence and gender discrimination.

Kingston – On Tuesday March 2, 2021, the United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), delivered J$13 million worth of critically needed hospital supplies as part of a third tranche of emergency equipment to the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW), to support the Government of Jamaica’s (GOJ) response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The equipment is part of the USD $2 million in assistance USAID is providing to Jamaica to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. “The United States continues to support the government and people of Jamaica in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. As neighbors, partners, and friends we are committed to helping this nation by providing the technical assistance, training, capacity building, health systems strengthening, and life-saving diagnostics and treatment,” said U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, John McIntyre.
The handover, the third in a series of transfers of critical equipment to the GOJ, adds to the U.S. government- supplied hospital and communication equipment already in use across Jamaica, and comes in time to assist Jamaicans as COVID-19 hospitalization rates increase. USAID’s prior deliveries are already in use across Jamaica.  Equipment delivered yesterday included:
 20 Infrared Thermometers
4 Emergency Transport Trolleys
5 Laryngoscope with Blades
5 Patient Monitors – Multifunction
18 Nebulizers
3 ECG Machines with Accessories
30 IV Drip Stands
2 Portable Suction machines
1 Transport Ventilator
10 ICU Beds
The equipment bolsters the Government of Jamaica’s COVID-19 emergency response and directly aids activities that are vital for helping to stem the challenges.
“USAID is doing our part as part of the overall American response to the COVID-19 pandemic with decisive action in Jamaica. Our efforts to combat COVID-19 build on decades of United States health assistance to the country. In the past 20 years, the United States has provided nearly U.S. $87 million in health and nearly U.S. $619 million total over the past 20 years for Jamaica,” said Jason Fraser, USAID/Jamaica Country Representative.  He further stated “USAID investments are making a difference in the lives and health of the Jamaican people. We stand with Jamaica during their time of need and will continue to do so in the future.”

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Tuesday the United States will have enough vaccines for every adult by the end of May, two months earlier than the administration had previously estimated.
He said the U.S. was able to speed up the timeline under a deal with Johnson & Johnson to accelerate production of its single-dose vaccine, including an agreement in which Merck will assist Johnson & Johnson with its production, and use of the Defense Production Act to secure necessary equipment and materials.
Biden also said that the federal government will be working to make sure every teacher is able to get the first dose of the vaccination this month. Starting this week, he said, teachers will be able to schedule an appointment at a local pharmacy for a vaccination, though he did not provide details as to how they might be able to schedule those sessions.
"Our goal is to do everything we can to help every educator receive a shot this month, the month of March," Biden said.
The deal between the two major pharmaceutical companies, first reported by The Washington Post, was brokered by the Biden administration after officials found out that Johnson & Johnson had fallen behind in the production of its vaccine.
The partnership will involve two Merck facilities, one of which will produce the vaccine while the other carries out the last phase of the manufacturing process, an administration official said. Biden said the administration was using the Defense Production Act to help Merck equip its facilities to make the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
"This is the type of collaboration between companies we saw in World War II," Biden said.
Merck had attempted to produce its own vaccine, but announced in late January that it was discontinuing the development of its two candidates after early clinical trial data showed an "inferior" immune response.
Johnson & Johnson's vaccine plant will be working 24 hours a day, seven days a week producing the vaccine and the Department of Defense will provide the company with logistical support, Biden said.
But even with enough doses for every American, there could still be a bottleneck in actually administering them if there aren't enough vaccinators or sites for individuals to receive the vaccinations, particularly in underserved rural and urban communities. The Biden administration has looked to address that challenge by deploying the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, and military personnel to states and opening federally-run mass vaccination centers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said vaccinations for teachers are not a requirement for schools to reopen, but some teachers unions have demanded staff be vaccinated before returning to the classrooms.
Biden said he was calling on states to prioritize teachers for vaccination and would be directing retail pharmacies receiving doses directly from the federal government to ensure doses are available for them.
"Vaccinations are a key ingredient to reopening schools safely, and this is the administration taking the steps to ramp up vaccinations for educators, which is great news for everyone who wants in-school learning," American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said in a statement.
Biden spoke earlier in the day by phone to Senate Democrats as they prepared to vote this week on the Covid-19 relief package passed by the House.
The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization to Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine over the weekend, making it the third vaccine available to the public. The vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer are the other two, though those require two separate doses to be administered three to four weeks apart.
Johnson & Johnson shipped out 4 million doses of its vaccine Monday, with 16 million more doses expected by the end of the month. Experts have said it can be a “game changer,” especially because it only requires one dose and can be kept in regular refrigerators, while the other two vaccines require ultracold storage conditions.
More than 15 percent of people in the U.S. have received at least one Covid-19 vaccination dose so far, according to the CDC.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and other top officials warned Monday that states shouldn’t be loosening their Covid-19 restrictions yet. They said they’re concerned that Covid-19 cases have stopped falling and that loosening rules could lead to another surge.
The federal government will be shipping 15.2 million doses to states this week, up from 14.5 million last week and nearly double the number of doses shipped out prior to Biden's inauguration, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday.

With Covid-19 vaccines expected to remain scarce into early spring, Connecticut has scrapped its complicated plans to prioritize immunizations for people under 65 with certain chronic conditions and front-line workers. Instead, the state will primarily base eligibility on age.

Gov. Ned Lamont pointed to statistics showing the risk of death and hospitalization from Covid-19 rises significantly by age.

Yet, shifting to an age-based priority system — after health workers, nursing home patients and people 65 and up have been offered vaccines — has frustrated people with health conditions such as cancer or diabetes who thought they would be next in line. It also could exacerbate the difficulty in getting people in underserved communities and those in minority racial and ethnic groups vaccinated, health experts said.

While it’s reasonable for states to want to vaccinate people in their 50s and 60s ahead of those in their teens and 20s, the experts added, there are no easy answers in deciding who should get vaccines first. Is a 40-year-old with diabetes at higher risk than a 64-year-old without serious health issues? How about an older person who works at home or a younger person whose job puts them at higher risk of infection?

Gini Fischer, 57, a portrait artist in Wilton, Connecticut, has mixed feeling about people her age being in line ahead of those with chronic illnesses. She also teaches water aerobics to seniors at her local YMCA and sees getting vaccinated as a way to protect others. So, she plans to make an appointment for the vaccine.

“I do think people with chronic illnesses are more vulnerable than I am,” said Fischer, a breast cancer survivor. But given her teaching responsibilities, “I certainly don’t want to be a risk to anyone in the class,” she said. “I do believe the more people who get vaccinated the safer it will be for others who have not been vaccinated.”

People 50 to 64 are nine times more likely to die of the virus than adults 30 to 39, according to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"There's no magic bullet,” said Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, referring to the different priority lists.

Under Connecticut’s new plan, the state on Monday will be the first to start vaccinating everyone age 55 to 64 and up. Later this spring, the state plans to vaccine younger adults. The only exception will be educators and child care providers, who also can also get vaccinated starting Monday.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts earlier this month also indicated the state would adopt a plan to move away from prioritizing vaccinating people with chronic illnesses. But Friday he said Nebraska would issue plans in March to give certain people, such as those on dialysis and those who have compromised immune systems, priority when the state finishes vaccinating those 65 and older.

Rhode Island is the only other state with an age-based plan, and the state estimates it will begin vaccinating people younger than 65 by age group starting in mid-March. But between vaccinating the group of residents who are 60 to 64 years old and those with ages ranging from 50 to 59, Rhode Island also will offer vaccines to people with certain chronic illnesses. The state expects to start vaccinating those in the 16-to-39 age group in June.

“I am really happy to be able to get it,” said Cathy Wilcox, 59, of Stamford, Connecticut, who made an appointment for Monday. Wilcox, who wears a KN95 mask when working the front desk at an indoor tennis facility, expected she wouldn’t be eligible until April or later but is excited because she has been worried about her risk of getting covid-19. “What worries me about covid is you can have no symptoms but be a carrier and be fine or you can die or everything in between,” she said.

More than 40 states adopted plans to prioritize adults with certain chronic conditions, a strategy that generally uses the “honor system” for people to self-attest they have conditions ranging from a smoking history to asthma, according to KFF. (KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF.)

“There is no obvious right or wrong way to do it,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious diseases expert with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore. He said the goal of the vaccine program — at least initially — is to protect the most vulnerable so they don’t overwhelm hospital capacity. But it is difficult to determine who is most at risk.

A simpler age-based system could speed vaccination efforts that some say have been complicated in states with Covid-19 priority phases with numerous tiers based on job and health status, Adalja said. “There is a clear argument to make it as simple and seamless as possible,” he added.

The big advantage of giving vaccines out by age is it could reduce people from gaming the system (or lying that they have a health condition) since vaccinators can easily check a person’s age identification, said Dr. Richard Zimmerman, a University of Pittsburgh professor who works with its Center for Vaccine Research.

“It may stop some people from skipping the line,” he said.

States and the District of Columbia defend their systems that give early access to people with chronic illnesses, saying they are following CDC recommendations.

After it finishes vaccinating seniors, Maryland will include all adults 16 to 64 who are front-line workers and adults with certain health conditions. A spokesperson for the Maryland Health Department said vaccines should be in large-enough supply in a few months so there won’t be a need to prioritize by age.

Washington, D.C., has a similar strategy.

“Age is not a good metric for disease severity nor disease progression,” the city’s health department said in a statement when asked why it plans to eventually give people ages 18 to 64 equal access to the vaccine.

Age also doesn’t not necessarily reflect overall risk, said Dr. Ana Núñez, an internist and vice -dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine. Housing, employment and other social determinants can raise a healthy person’s chance of getting the virus.

Indeed, experts said these factors help explain why people from Black, Hispanic and Native American backgrounds are dying at disproportionately high rates.

Distributing by age without targeting the most affected populations also gives preference to white residents, she said, because they outnumber racial and ethnic minority groups in many states.

"If you just do age,” Núñez said, “who are you preferentially immunizing?”

Michelle Cantu, who oversees infectious disease and immunization programs at the National Association of County and City Health Officials, said it’s important for jurisdictions to use data to determine who and how they immunize.

Multiple locations with large minority populations have contacted her in the past month about how an age-based system doesn’t work for them, she said. "I think there are a lot of critical considerations that states and local health departments have to consider,” she said.

Figuring out the best priority order for vaccines will be a short-term issue, as the number of vaccine doses is expected to rise exponentially by late April. But the question of vaccine hesitancy may then become a greater challenge, said. Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, a professor in the departments of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Florida.

“I have a concern we will soon get to a point where we have more vaccine than people who want to get it.”

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, who stated this at the PTF national briefing on Monday in Abuja, said, "This trend in reduction compares with global observations of seeming decline in COVID -19 cases, signifying that the second wave may be receding.
"We are, however, not drawing conclusions yet and certainly not declaring victory but rather watching developments as they unfold nationally and internationally, ready to make use of comparative advantages that may emerge.
"We are intensifying the monitoring of COVID-19 positive cases, especially those that can self-isolate, by strengthening and improving the capacity of personnel, to manage home-based care."
He, however, emphasised that those on home-based care should report to their hospital or case manager, immediately they experienced symptoms or felt their symptoms were getting worse.
"Experience has shown that COVID-19 disease can deteriorate suddenly and rapidly, resulting in life threatening severity that can be managed if presented early enough. Late presentation is a leading cause of increase in mortality.
"Findings from supportive supervision of treatment centres also indicate that vulnerable and 'at risk' persons are among those reluctant to accept hospital admission, especially if they have no severe symptoms. It is important to follow medical advice and comply with directives.
"The bed occupancy at our isolation and treatment centres is about 36 per cent, so there is sufficient bed space to comfortably accommodate patients and we stand ready to redistribute from heavy burden to lower burden hospitals, if the need arises," Ehanire said.
He said there were reports of an offer of 300 million doses of Sputnik V vaccines to the AVATT portfolio, which would boost availability to 557 million, adding that it would be a great relief to the African region and also increase the variety of vaccines to four.
"The vaccine coordination committee will advise on the best options for Nigeria, bearing salient factors in mind. Nigeria is aware of official reports of large scale fraud and counterfeit vaccines that are already in circulation," the minister said.
He explained that the country's vaccine needs for this year were virtually fully satisfied by multilateral and bilateral original manufacturer sources, hence the ministry did not need to procure vaccines from private importers.
He added that no vaccine would be allowed into the country unless it was certified by NAFDAC.
"The need to involve the private sector in dispensing vaccines will be studied by the vaccine coordinating committee and NPHCDA, who have the mandate to administer vaccines in Nigeria.
"We must, however, remember that the COVID-19 vaccine is not an ordinary routine vaccine but an unfamiliar, novel vaccine with properties that are still being studied.
"There may be effects during their administration, for which government must issue indemnification and take responsibility, which will not cover vaccines imported or administered privately, outside of legal framework.
"We applaud moves to support COVID-19 vaccine financing by the Nigerian private sector, which will be exclusively channelled through the account Nigeria has opened with the Afrexim Bank in Addis Ababa," he said.
Speaking on Ebola and Nigeria's preparation to forestall any outbreak, the minister said Nigeria was closely observing developments on its outbreak in Guinea and working with the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) to contain it and prevent the spread to other countries in the region.
"We are pleased to note that ECOWAS countries adjacent to the epicenter are taking strict measures with regard to checking movement of persons.
"Our Port Health Service Officers are on high alert to step up border surveillance of travellers arriving by air or overland from destinations around the outbreak country to avert disease importation," Ehanire said.
According to him, although Nigeria is classified as a moderate Ebola risk country because of its distance from Guinea, health workers in hospitals have also been put on alert to have a high index of suspicion.
"The population is hereby requested to report suspicious symptoms, including fever and bleeding in the community among recent arrivals from the West African subregion.
"I also use this opportunity to advise Nigerians intending to visit countries in the general area, to delay the visit, while WHO carries out support activities, including ring vaccinations.
"No increase in cases or fatality has been reported so far from Guinea," he added.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States faces a dark milestone despite a recent decline in COVID-19 cases as it prepares to mark a staggering half million deaths this week, nearly a year after the novel coronavirus pandemic upended the country with dueling public health and economic crises.
While the number of COVID-19 cases fell for the fifth straight week and officials scrambled to inoculate the population, the nation prepared to soon reach 500,000 deaths from the highly infectious respiratory disease. (Graphic: tmsnrt.rs/2WTOZDR)
“It’s nothing like we’ve ever been through in the last 102 years since the 1918 influenza pandemic... It really is a terrible situation that we’ve been through - and that we’re still going through,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House COVID-19 medical adviser and the nation’s top infectious disease official, told CNN’s “State of the Union” program on Sunday.
The White House has said it will memorialize the moment but had no immediate comment on Sunday about its plans. President Joe Biden last month observed America’s COVID-19 deaths on the eve of his inauguration with a sundown ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool.
Biden will use “his own voice and platform to take a moment to remember the people whose lives have been lost, the families who are still suffering ... at what is still a very difficult moment in this country,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday.
More than 28 million COVID cases have rocked the United States and 497,862 have died, even as daily average deaths and hospitalizations have fallen to the lowest levels since before the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. The virus took a full year off the average life expectancy in the United States, the biggest decline since World War Two.
While the decline “is really terrific ... we are still at a level that’s very high,” Fauci said in a separate interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” program. “We want to get that baseline really, really, really low before we start thinking that we’re out of the woods.”
Fauci told CNN that Americans may still need masks in 2022 even as other measures to stop the virus’ spread become increasingly relaxed and more vaccines are administered, and they may need a booster shot depending on how variants emerge.
Less than 15% of the U.S. population has received at least one vaccine dose, with nearly 43 million getting at least one shot and nearly 18 million getting a second shot, U.S. statistics show.
Meanwhile, more localities are easing some restrictions, such as on indoor dining, and moving to reopen schools even as millions await their shots, sparking debate over the safety of teachers, students and others.
Financial pressures also continue to weigh even as economists express optimism for the year ahead. Congress is weighing Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package, with the House is expected to vote on it this week and the Senate seeking to pass it before March 14.

A New York City waitress was fired from her job after she told her supervisors that she wanted to wait before she got the Covid-19 vaccine.
Bonnie Jacobson, of Brooklyn, said she was unexpectedly terminated from Red Hook Tavern on Monday, days after she expressed concern about how the vaccine affects fertility.
Jacobson said she and her husband had recently started trying to have a child, but their plans were put on hold after she lost her job in April due to the coronavirus pandemic.
After she began working at the tavern in August, she and her husband once again began planning for a child.
"I do support the vaccine. I'm not, as they say, an anti-vaxxer," Jacobson said in a phone interview on Wednesday, telling NBC News that she feels there is still a lack of research about how the vaccine affects pregnant women.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that "the actual risks of mRNA vaccines to the pregnant person and her fetus are unknown because these vaccines have not been studied in pregnant women."
The agency said that researchers have such studies planned and that both Pfizer and Moderna are monitoring people in the clinical trials who became pregnant.
Jacobson, 34, said her manager initially understood her concerns and told her that getting vaccinated was not required.
But days later, the tavern changed course and on Feb. 12 workers received an email stating that vaccinations were mandatory.
"Please be advised that we will require that all employees receive the vaccination," the email, which Jacobson provided to NBC News, said.
"This will be mandatory for all existing employees and any new hires. The exception to this policy will be if your own personal health or disability prohibits you from obtaining this vaccination. We encourage you to consult your healthcare professional to determine if getting a vaccine is right for you."
Jacobson said she emailed her job and said that she did not want to get the vaccine at this point and needed more time.
"While I fully support the vaccine and understand its importance I do believe this is a very personal choice. I really hope this choice would not affect my employment at Red Hook Tavern," she wrote to her boss. "Also once there is more research to support that it does not affect fertility I would reconsider my position."
Two days after she sent her email, she was told that she had been fired.
"It was really impersonal. I was honestly shocked," she said. "My gut reaction was to just say, 'OK. Fine, I'll get it. I need my job.' But that just didn't sit right with me. I was like, 'Actually, I don't think that's right. I don't think that's the choice I need to be making here.' "
Jacobson said she does not want her job back, but hopes to encourage other businesses to approach mandating vaccinations differently.
"I think it's important for other business owners to see this and tread lightly, and take into more consideration their employees' feelings, especially if your employees have been working for you, putting themselves in danger throughout a pandemic," she said.
Red Hook Tavern's owner Billy Durney acknowledged that the situation could have been handled differently.
“Once New York state allowed restaurant workers to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, we thought this was the perfect opportunity to put a plan in place to keep our team and guests safe. No one has faced these challenges before and we made a decision that we thought would best protect everyone," he said in an emailed statement.
"And, we now realize that we need to update our policy so it’s clear to our team how the process works and what we can do to support them. We’re making these changes immediately.”

One in three parents say COVID-19 has made it hard to get dental care for their child, according to a new poll.

The poll's findings show just one of the ripple effects the coronavirus pandemic is having on children's health, according to Dr. Jennifer Ashton, a board-certified OBGYN and ABC News chief medical correspondent.

"It's important to always think of the indirect consequences of this pandemic and the effect that it has particularly on children," Ashton said Monday on "Good Morning America." "We think of dental health as different than physical health, but it’s really not. It's a critical part."

The American Association of Pediatric Dentists (AAPD) recommends that children receive regular teeth cleaning and examination every six months, starting when their first tooth comes in.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, some dental offices have changed the way they operate to help limit the spread of COVID-19.

More than 20% of parents said they experienced a delay in trying to schedule dental care since the pandemic started, while 7% of parents say they were unable to get an appointment at all, according to the poll released Monday by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital at the University of Michigan.

Around 40% of parents reported not trying at all to get dental care for their child since the pandemic started, with reasons ranging from not wanting to risk being exposed to COVID-19 to their dentist's office only seeing urgent patients, according to the poll.

Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Dental Association (ADA) have had guidelines on dental safety in place since early on in the pandemic.

The top guideline issued by both organizations is for dental practitioners to "fully utilize" personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect both themselves and patients.

"To be crystal clear, you really don't want to avoid or delay dental care," said Ashton. "It is critically important."

Cavities are one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood in the U.S. Untreated cavities can cause pain and infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking, playing and learning, according to the CDC.

Children who have poor oral health often miss school more often and receive lower grades than children with better oral health, notes the CDC.

Amid the difficulties in obtaining dental care during the pandemic, there is good news from the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital poll.

Parents also reported making changes at home to improve their child's oral health habits, including more frequent brushing and flossing, more frequent use of fluoride rinse and less drinking of sugary beverages, according to the poll.

The country has reported seven additional deaths from Covid-19 complications as the spike in new cases continues to feed through into fatalities. Daily cases have averaged 600 for the first time since the pandemic reached Nigeria in late February with the spread concentrated in the country's two major entry points and hardest-hit cities - Lagos and Abuja. According to the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control, the failure of Nigerians to comply with the Covid-19 safety protocols during the festive period could lead to more spread of the disease. So far, Nigeria has conducted over 950,000 Covid-19 tests. The government has said that the economic and social implications may make it difficult for it to impose another lockdown in the country.

Johnson & Johnson applied to the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday for emergency use authorization for its experimental Covid-19 vaccine. The FDA could grant the authorization within weeks.
If it is authorized, Johnson & Johnson's vaccine would be the third approved in the U.S., joining the vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
"Today's submission for emergency use authorization of our investigational single-shot Covid-19 vaccine is a pivotal step toward reducing the burden of disease for people globally and putting an end to the pandemic," Dr. Paul Stoffels, Johnson & Johnson's chief scientific officer, said in a news release.
Shortly after Johnson & Johnson applied for emergency use, the FDA announced plans for its vaccine advisory panel to meet on Feb. 26 to discuss the request. The Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, or VRBPAC, will evaluate safety and effectiveness data from the vaccine trials and vote whether to recommend authorization. The FDA isn’t obligated to go along with the panel’s recommendation, but it usually does.
If the FDA grants the authorization, Stoffels said, the company will be ready to begin shipping vaccines. It is unclear how many doses would be ready immediately; Johnson & Johnson has previously said it expects to supply 100 million doses to the U.S. by June.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, made in partnership with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, requires only basic refrigeration and is given as a single dose. Other vaccines, including Pfizer/BioNTech's and Moderna's, as well as vaccines being studied by AstraZeneca and Novavax, require two doses.
In Phase 3 clinical trials, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine prevented all hospitalizations and deaths in people four weeks after they received the shot, the company said last week. Notably, the effects were observed in people infected with virus variants from the U.K. and South Africa, which can hinder vaccine efficacy.
That was apparent when the Phase 3 clinical trial findings were broken down by region. In the U.S., the vaccine was 72 percent effective at preventing moderate to severe disease, while in South Africa, it was 57 percent effective.
The launch of new vaccines has brought a glimmer of hope to countries in need, and current vaccines have long been divided among rich countries. This is unfair, we are just powerless.

The U.S. will begin shipping doses of the Covid-19 vaccine directly to retail pharmacies next week, as the Biden administration expands how and where Americans can get inoculated.
The initial shipment of 1 million doses will go to 6,500 stores starting Feb. 11, said Jeffrey Zients, the Biden administration’s Covid-19 coordinator.
States were left by the Trump administration to devise their own distribution plans and some opted to use retail pharmacies in their states to help administer the vaccine to certain groups, like health care workers.
Pharmacies that receive the vaccine directly from the federal government will still need to follow their state's guidelines to determine which populations should receive the injections. Americans should check their local pharmacy's website to make an appointment if they fall into one of their state’s priority groups, he said.
The first pharmacies to receive the vaccine from the federal government will be those that are best situated to reach people at high risk for severe illness and “socially vulnerable” populations, said Zients.
Eventually, 40,000 pharmacies across the country will receive shipments of the vaccine, but Zients didn't say when he expected that to happen. Until now, hospitals and state health departments have been administering the vast majority of vaccinations.
“The initial phase of activating local pharmacies will get more shots in arms,” Zients said. “It will ensure that pharmacies have the infrastructure and the experience they need to scale up when vaccine supply increases in the months ahead.”
CVS said Tuesday that it will receive 250,000 of those doses from the federal government next week. The nationwide chain plans to begin giving vaccinations at 300 of its stores, including 100 in California and 70 in Texas. CVS has 10,000 stores nationwide.
In addition to the 1 million doses the administration plans to ship to retail pharmacies, it also plans to send 10.5 million doses a week for the next three weeks to state governments. The Biden administration has increased the number of doses being sent to the states by 20 percent since taking over the vaccine distribution program on Jan. 20.
President Joe Biden has committed to giving at least 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office and said he hopes that number could be as high as 150 million. So far, 32 million doses have been administered since the first vaccine was approved on Dec. 11.
Zients said the severe weather across much of the northeastern United States hasn't slowed down the federal government's shipments of the vaccine though some states have had to close administration sites.

Nigeria says the first batch of 100,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 is delayed because of “politics and logistics due to no fault of Nigeria.”
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who disclosed this in Abuja on Sunday, said the issue of vaccine was a serious one to government which had put every needed infrastructure in place for its storage.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the minister said: “The fact that these vaccines will now come in February is not due to Nigeria’s fault.
“We are very ready to receive the 100,00 doses and we have the infrastructure, even when it is going to be preserved at about -70 Degree Celsius,’’ he said.
The minister said the ultra-cold freezers to store the Pfizer vaccine candidate doses upon their arrival in the country had already been acquired before the companies said it had to wait till February.
Mohammed, a member of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, said government had also accessed the African Union (AU) and other international agencies for vaccines.
He assured that in the next two years, they would be able to vaccinate about 70 per cent of the population.
The minister underscored the need for sustained advocacy campaign against the position of some people who had bad-mouthed the vaccines that it had a lot of resistance.
“We have to appeal to our traditional, religious and political leaders to understand that as of today, there is no other silver bullets than the vaccines.
“They are the only option that can save humanity from the deadly virus and the elites must take the lead in this campaign.
“We must disabuse our minds from the campaign of naysayers that the vaccines are dangerous, it can cause impotency or meant to depopulate some parts of the world,’’ he said.
Mohammed said that Nigeria would strive like other countries of the world to access enough vaccines for its people.
He said the WHO had certified the vaccines to be safe and efficacious, therefore, the concern should be availability, affordability and logistics for distribution.
He reiterated that the vaccines were the most effective and quickest way for the world to resume normal life of restraints and restrictions.
The minister said the spike in the cases of COVID-19 and fatality was largely because Nigerians had refused to abide by the basic non-pharmaceutical intervention principles.
He said Nigerians were not heeding the basic principles, including wearing facial masks, not gathering in places, keeping social distancing, washing of hands regularly and using hand sanitisers.
Mohammed said that while President Muhammadu Buhari had signed the COVID-19 Regulations, Nigerians must take personal responsibility for their safety.

The United States has donated field hospital worth $1.3 million to Nigeria.
The U.S. has donated field hospital worth $1.3 million to Nigeria, in a bid to further contain the spread of Covid-19 cases and its related deaths.
According to a report by The Nation, the field hospital is located at the Federal Medical Centre in Jabi, Abuja.
The facility contains four fully equipped, negative pressure isolation facilities with the capacity to house up to 40 patients, an administrative unit, a 160-kw auxiliary generator, as well as other support equipment such as beds, sub-floors, showers and lavatories.
The facility was donated to the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health by the United States Department of Defence’s U.S. Africa Command, with support from the U.S. Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR).
“As we celebrate 60 years of U.S.-Nigeria diplomatic relations, and many years of health partnerships, it is deeply satisfying to look back on the many ways we have worked together to improve the health, safety and security of the Nigerian people,
“Supporting the healthcare workers who are caring for patients at this facility and across the country, is critical to Nigeria’s effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

(CNN)Nigeria's president has approved the release of 6.45 billion naira ($16.94 million) to set up oxygen production plants in 38 sites to help treat COVID-19 patients as authorities contend with a sharp rise in cases, the government said on Thursday.
Africa's most-populous country, where officials recorded low coronavirus numbers through much of last year, is in the grip of a second wave of infections.
The presidency said the release of funds to address the provision of oxygen was announced at a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) advisory body.
"President Muhammadu Buhari has approved 6.45 billion naira for the setting up of gas plants in 38 locations nationwide in a bid to enhance the treatment of Covid-19 patients who need oxygen," said a statement issued by the vice president's office.
The release of funds for the production of oxygen was "necessitated by the increased number of patients who need oxygen due to the surge in Covid-19 infections in the country", the statement said.
It said a further 255 million naira ($670,000) had been approved for repairs of oxygen plants in five hospitals.
Earlier this week, the state government in Lagos, the epicenter of Nigeria's outbreak, said demand for oxygen at one of its main hospitals had increased fivefold in recent weeks to 350 6-liter cylinders a day. It said that was expected to more than double to 750 by the end of January.
Nigeria has recorded 114,691 COVID-19 cases and 1,478 deaths, as of Thursday.
While wealthier countries have begun mass vaccination campaigns, African countries are scrambling to secure supplies.
Nigeria's state governors issued a statement on Thursday in which they said the country's first vaccine doses were expected to arrive by the end of February.
Authorities previously said the first doses, under the COVAX programme backed by the World Health Organization to secure fair access to COVID-19 vaccines for poor countries, were expected by the end of January.

The slow rollout of Covid-19 vaccines — including delayed deliveries, states receiving fewer doses than expected and difficulty scheduling appointments — has led to some consternation that people may not be able to get their second dose within the prescribed time frame of 21 or 28 days.
While potentially worrisome, public health experts across the country say there's no cause for concern.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, national pharmacy chains, infectious disease experts, and doctors on the front lines of treating patients say that there is some wiggle room for that second dose — while also emphasizing that it's still essential to get fully vaccinated as soon as possible.
"There is no maximum interval between the first and second doses for either vaccine," the CDC says on its website.
Rina Shah, group vice president of pharmacy operations and services at Walgreens, which plans to administer doses at its stores across the country, said that "patients can receive the second dose as long as it follows the immunization window," meaning that the second dose is given no earlier than the designated time frame.
"We encourage patients to schedule the second dose appointment as close to the earliest appropriate date, but a bit after is OK," Shah said.
That runs counter to the official guidance from the Food and Drug Administration and Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, the drugmakers behind the two vaccines currently available in the U.S., which states that two doses, given at specific intervals, are necessary for maximum protection. For Pfizer, that interval is 21 days; for Moderna, 28 days.
Those time frames come from how the vaccines were administered in clinical trials, meaning the only data available look at how well the vaccines worked when given either 21 days apart for Pfizer, and 28 days apart for Moderna.
But the body's immune response doesn't expire after a set interval.
"Your immune system is really smart," said Dr. Buddy Creech, director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. "It doesn't forget what it saw the first time," he said, referring to the first vaccine dose.
Creech, who has overseen clinical trials for Moderna, said the vaccines should work as expected, even if the second dose is delayed a month or more than what is recommended.
"Do not panic. Even if it's four weeks, six weeks, eight weeks before you can get that second dose, it's fine from an immune system standpoint," he said.
The second dose of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines function as a reminder to the immune system.
"Like any defense mechanism, if the immune system sees something once, it may be prepared the second time," said Dr. Bruce Y. Lee, a professor of health policy and management at the City University of New York. "If you're exposed to something a second time, it tells you — hey, you've got to treat this seriously."
That could happen even if the second dose was given as much as a year later, said Dr. Diane Griffin, an infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, though there is no data showing that giving the second dose that much later would lead to the 95 percent effectiveness seen in the clinical trials.
"The main reason for the booster is to get the immunity up to a high enough level that you're confident that you're protected," Griffin said.
Still, Griffin stressed the importance of getting fully vaccinated sooner rather than later.
"People may think that they're protected because they got one dose," she said. While the first dose does offer protection, "there needs to be an emphasis that a second dose is necessary" for full protection.
Lee agreed, adding that the better protected any individual is, the better it is for others around them, too. "If other people are protected, the virus can find fewer opportunities to spread," he said.

The federal government has urged Nigerians to do everything possible to avoid the second lockdown in Nigeria. Punch reports that this plea was made on Monday, January 18, by the chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, at a press briefing in Abuja, the nation's capital. Legit.ng gathered that Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said this can be done by complying with the protocols released by the government.
Mustapha said the government was making progress with the case management under the national response which continues to receive the support of the private sector in the delivery of medical oxygen to the various facilities.

I hope that a vaccine can be produced as soon as possible. Although the virus has mutated, the vaccine is still people's most hopeful thing.