No fewer than 40,000 residents of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory are said to have received their first shot of the COVID-19 Vaccines since the rollout of the exercise in March 2021.
The Acting Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Nda-Eyo Iwot who disclosed this while monitoring the vaccination of FCT lawmakers, said the figure is part of the 1million doses so far inoculated nationwide.
While harping on the safety of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Iwot urge residents to ignore conspiracy theories and fake news being pushed on social media, stressing that no known adverse effect of the vaccine has been recorded.
He clarified that two of the five cases are not directly linked to the vaccine.
While commending the lawmakers for publicly taking the vaccine, the Permanent Secretary of the FCT, Mr Adesola Olusade said the move will not just validate the efficacy and safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, but also boost the public confidence in the exercise.
The Permanent Secretary also added that government will not make it compulsory for Nigerians to take the jab.
He however explained that certain situations may necessitate taking the jab.
Speaking to journalists after taking the jab, Senator Phillip Aduda commended the efforts of the FCT Administration to curbing the spread of the pandemic.
He said the “Decline in the number of positive cases is an indication that the FCT administration is getting it right.”
Aduda who led other FCT lawmakers, Micha Jiba and Hassan Usman Sokodabo to get their jabs said doing this will convince their supporters that the vaccine is safe
“We members of the National Assembly, our families and domestic staff are here to be vaccinated. As a leader, I should be able to convince the people that this is safe.” Senator Aduda added.
PIAK
