The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), says it supports the Nigerian government’s COVID-19 vaccines mandate.
The National President of NANS, Mr Sunday Asefon, stated this after the leadership of the apex Nigerian students’ body, received their first dose of AstraZeneca vaccines, in Abuja, at National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
According to Asefon, the NANS leadership after wide consultation with all ranks and files including stakeholders and experts in the health sector alongside its independent survey and investigation on the vaccination of citizens exercise embarked on by NPHCDA.
“We wish to announce the safety of this vaccine for all Nigerians and Nigerian students in particular, to demonstrate acceptance and endorsement of this vaccine for all in jine with this resolution. My humble self as National President along side Senate President, National Executive Council Members and members of the National Secretariat of NANS have taking our first jab today. This is to lead by example as it marks the kick off of vaccination exercise for the entire Nigerian Students,” Mr Asefon explained.
He urged all its members that are yet to be vaccinated to take advantage of the mass vaccination to receive their vaccines in order to protect themselves and their campuses.
“It is important that we play a role in protecting our selves and our loved ones, most critically in this yuletide period when we have many of our relatives coming from abroad in the spirit of celebration. Our action plan commences with this press briefing. It will be followed by awareness campaign to be kicked off/rally and Senate meeting at University of Abuja, then Zonal Congresses across the six geopolitical zones of the federation then campus to campus vaccination exercise by NPHCDA in company of NANS monitoring Team,” he explained.
Earlier, Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib, said that vaccines were essential to ensuring that Nigerians were safe.
Shuaib said that the mass vaccination campaign initiative have been made to ease all known bottlenecks to access, and the agency had expanded vaccination sites.
“These sites include (i) public health facilities, (ii) private health facilities, (iii) mobile vaccination posts and (iv) mass vaccination sites such as-: Schools, Markets, shopping malls, Recreation centres, Motor parks, worship houses, and other public places that attract high human traffic,” he added
He said that the agency had also taken stringent measures to prevent any compromise of the process along the value chain.
“This vaccination is free because Government remains conscious of its responsibility to safeguard the health of our people,” he said.
The NPHCDA boss stated that over 6,183,844 of total eligible persons targeted for COVID-19 vaccination have reached their first dose while over 3,456,204 of total eligible persons targeted for COVID-19 vaccination were fully vaccinated, as of November 23, 2021.
PIAK
