President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice, Yemi Osinbajo, will on Saturday receive the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, Spokesman Garba Shehu confirmed to Peoples Gazette Thursday afternoon.

Executive Director, National primary healthcare Development Agency, Faisal Shuaib also told reporters at the State House on Thursday that the exercise will boost the confidence of Nigerians to receive the vaccine that was recently sent to the country.

Mr. Shuaib said the government will organise a ceremony at the National Hospital on Friday, launching the 3.94 million vaccines received.

He reiterated that frontline health workers working at the treatment center in the National hospital will be administered first.

Nigeria on Tuesday received 3.94 million vaccines AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and shipped via the COVAX Facility, Peoples Gazette reported.

The Gazette learnt the COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), working in partnership with UNICEF, the World Bank, civil society organisations, manufacturers and others.

South Africa held its roll out of AstraZeneca doses as health authorities said early data released suggest two doses of the COVID vaccine provided only “minimal protection” against mild and moderate COVID-19 variant found in the country.