Nigeria destroyed over a million Covid-19 vaccines that were donated by the rich people of the country, in an attempt to educate and inform people that the vaccines come with an expiry date. These vaccines belonged to AstraZeneca and the destruction came in light to wary Nigerians that expired vaccines have been taken out of circulation.
A bulldozer crushed the AstraZeneca Covid-19 expired vaccines at a dumpsite in Gosa, Abuja that was still packed in cardboard boxes, wrapped in plastic, as informed by the reporters. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency executive director, Faisal Shuaib stated that it was the shortage of vaccine supplies in Africa that forced Africa to take those doses, even though the government knew the vaccines had a shorter shelf life left and will expire before the entire population gets vaccinated.
He further added that in a conscious effort to ensure Nigerians of the effectiveness of vaccines, the government decided to destroy the expired doses. Shuaib also said that they have withdrawn 1,066,214 Covid-19 expired doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to keep their promise to the Nigerians.
Osagie Ehanire, the Health Minister of Nigeria said that the country will no longer accept vaccines with shorter shelf life. He also raised the concern over increasing Omicron cases and urged people to get vaccinated, citing that the lower vaccination is associated with higher infection to the new variant.