The Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through its Health and Human Services Secretariat has advised every eligible Nigerian to take the COVID-19 vaccine to curtail the further spread of the virus in the country.
Dr Mohammed Kawu, Acting Secretary of the Secretariat, gave the advice in an interview with journalists in Abuja Nigeria.
Kawu said that the country would not be considered safe until 70 per cent of the nation’s population was vaccinated against the COVID-19 pandemic.
He disclosed that FCT got 219,800 doses of vaccines from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, adding that the priority was to vaccinate all the health workers in FCT.
He explained that the brand of COVID-19 vaccine currently being used in Nigeria was safe and efficacious.
“The President of this country, the Vice President and all the political leaders of this country have taken the vaccine. If it is not safe, we are not that bad as to allow our President, Governors and other political leaders to take this vaccine. So, you can be sure this vaccine is safe.
“This vaccine is coming from a 21-year-old company, established in 1990 in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is not a Third World vaccine production facility as so many people are saying.
“The UK is presently taking this vaccine despite the hitch they got in Sweden and one other country that has withheld the administration of this vaccine.
“The UK said, as far as they are concerned, they have not seen or heard any side effects that warrant stoppage of the vaccine. The vaccine is as potent and as safe as required.
“The problem that other countries got was some people develop embolism which is common in the UK. Probably it’s a coincidence, probably it’s one of the side effects, they are not sure.
“So, they want to investigate further with the batch that they are using and the batch is ABC 1530 and that is not the batch we are using in this country and that is not the batch the UK is using; Italy too is not using it.
“So, all these countries, as far as they are concerned, the one they are using they have not seen any side effects that warrants stoppage so they are ok; they are comfortable.
“Let me also tell you, the moment this vaccine was produced, it has been under trial and testing.
“The samples were sent to all regulatory agencies of all countries, especially (including) our NAFDAC. NAFDAC has worked on all the Vaccines that have been produced in the world in case Nigeria wants to import them.
“After importing the vaccine, before they were administered, NAFDAC had to take the samples from this batch that have been produced. And processed and investigated the safety and all other parameters and they came out to say that this vaccine is perfect.
“So far as I am concerned, as a scientist, this vaccine is good, safe and efficacious and I recommend it for myself, family and all Nigerians,” Kawu said.
Zainab Sa’id
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