AstraZeneca briefs Nigeria on COVID-19 vaccine fears

 

The Nigerian government received a brief from AstraZeneca group on fears over COVID-19 vaccines.

At the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Abdullazzi Abdullahi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, said the company provided satisfactory clarification.

Abdullahi disclosed that the government got reassurance of the safety and efficacy of the vaccine already distributed to states.

“We have not yet recorded unusual side effects among those who have received the vaccine which include myself. NAFDAC is monitoring the process as part of a global tracking of adverse effects of the vaccine.

“Anyone who has received the vaccine and is experiencing any adverse reaction should please report to NAFDAC using the Med Safety App on your phone or report at the centre where you received the jab.”

The country took delivery of 3.94 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines through the COVAX facility in early March.

The PS said that the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria as of Monday morning was 161,737 from 1,727,467 samples, with a test positivity rate of 9.4 per cent.

Abdullahi added that Nigeria had recorded 2,030 deaths since the outbreak on February 27, 2020.