NMA Faults NPHCDA Registration Portal For COVID-19 Vaccination

The President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Innocent Uja has faulted the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) plan to open an online portal for the registration of the COVID-19 vaccination.

AllNews had earlier reported that the Federal Government on Monday launched the electronic registration platform to enable eligible Nigerians to get vaccinated against the coronavirus pandemic.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire who launched the registration portal in Abuja said the federal government would adopt the strategy deployed for the eradication of polio in the country in vaccinating eligible citizens against COVID-19.

Ehanire expressed hope that with the experience garnered by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency during vaccination and subsequently eradication of polio in the country, the agency would record another feat in its handling of COVID –19 vaccination.

Reacting to the new development, the NMA Chairman said that though he was not aware of the idea of registration before vaccination, the procedure would violate the agreement of vaccinating frontline workers before any other person.

Uja explained that there was agreement that frontline workers, aged ones from 60 and above, as well as people with hypertension and liver disease, then security people were expected to take the vaccine first. He also said that the NPHCDA might have come out with a new procedure to test the acceptability of the vaccine.

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The NMA boss, however, said that such a procedure might be hampered because of illiterates who did not know how to fill the form for registration.

Uja said, “Then, it means it will violate the issue of frontline first; maybe they want to see the depth of acceptability of the vaccine. Maybe it is not administration.

“Honestly, I’m not aware that there should be registration online; it has not been communicated to me and I don’t know the process.

“But if there is going to be registration, they should make it open for people to know. I’m not aware of registration before the vaccine.”

However, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency may begin administering COVID-19 vaccines on Nigerians from March 12.

Also, ahead of the arrival of the vaccines in Nigeria, the NPHCDA on Monday commenced online registration of Nigerians interested in taking the vaccines.

The agency disclosed this in a series of messages posted on its Twitter handle, @NphcdaNG, on Monday.