The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, on Monday, gave provisional approval for the R21 malaria vaccine for use in Nigeria.
With the approval of the vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, Nigeria becomes the second country to approve the product after Ghana.
Disclosing this during a media briefing, the Director General of the Agency, Prof Christianah Adeleye also explained that while the review committee recognised that the vaccine is 75 per cent effective in protecting against malaria, he added that the vaccine’s potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks, thereby supporting the manufacturer’s recommended use.
Adeleye further explained that the provisional approval of the R21 makes Nigeria the second country in the world to approve its use after Ghana, noting that Nigeria expects to get at least 100,000 doses of the vaccine in donations soon before the market authorisation will start making other arrangements with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), NAFDAC.
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