The Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 says the second batch of vaccination against the virus will commence Tuesday, August 10.

In a statement on Saturday in Abuja, Willie Bassey, press director of the PSC, said the committee has received over four million doses of Moderna vaccine donated by the U.S.

“In view of the above, the inoculation is scheduled from Tuesday, August 10, at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, off Airport road, Abuja,” he said.

According to Mr Bassey, this is to step up efforts to battle the third wave of infections.

This delivery is the second batch of vaccines to arrive in Nigeria, after four million doses were delivered in March under the COVAX vaccine sharing facility.

COVAX was set up to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines, particularly to low-income countries, and has already delivered more than 80 million doses to 129 territories.

Nigeria has since exhausted the four million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The Moderna vaccine received on August 1, is mRNA type of vaccine, manufactured and developed by Moderna, NIAID. Two shots of the vaccine are to be administered through intramuscular injection, 28 days apart.

The Moderna vaccine is listed for emergency use by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as safe and effective, based on data from large-scale clinical trials.

The federal government plans to vaccinate 109 million people against the COVID-19 virus, over a period of two years. The eligible population is from 18 years and above.

According to the PSC, to achieve this, “the vaccine roll-out will be in four phases, starting with health workers, frontline workers, COVID-19 rapid response team, laboratory network, policemen, petrol station workers and strategic leaders.

“Phase 2 includes older adults, aged 50 years and above. Those with co-morbidities, aged 18 to 49 years. Phase 3 is for those in states/LGAs with high disease burden and who missed phases 1 and 2. Then Phase 4 is for other eligible populations as vaccines become available.”