FG Reassures Nigerians on The Safety of AstraZeneca Vaccine
In a statement released by The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) by its Head of Public Relations Unit, Mohammad Ohitoto, has amid reports that some countries have stopped using the COVID-19 vaccine, Oxford-AstraZeneca, appealed to Nigerians to remain calm as there is no cause for alarm regarding the batch of vaccines delivered to the country recently.
He stated that there had not been any reported case of adverse effects among those already vaccinated but only mild side effects have been observed adding that investigations are being done to determine if the batch of AstraZeneca vaccine, namely ABV5300 brought into the country is in any way linked to any observed side effect.
Mohammad further explained that the safety of vaccines delivered to Nigeria is paramount to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, noting that clinical evidence indicates that it is safe and effective as the country’s own assessments are in line with countries such as Spain and UK who have indicated continuous use of the vaccine since it remains an important tool in the fight against the virus.
He reiterated that clear, rigorous protocols are being followed to safeguard the health of Nigerians and therefore appealed to those categorised among the set of people to be prioritised in the current phase of vaccination exercise to avail themselves and get vaccinated.
