Nigeria’s Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has said it is aware of the increasing concerns about the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, noting that Nigeria has suffered a major setback in the campaign to make citizens and residents take the jabs.As of Thursday, eight European countries – Denmark, Norway, Austria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland and Luxembourg have suspended all or part of its roll-out as a precaution while they investigated concerns relating to blood clots and other side effects caused by the vaccine.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora; and a prominent virologist, Prof Oyewale Tomori, had separately told The PUNCH that there was nothing to worry about.
Nigerian Government, two weeks ago received 3.94 million doses of the vaccine from COVAX facility, an initiative co-led by the Vaccine Alliance, GAVI and the World Health Organisation.
In spite of the assurance by government on Thursday, the National Incident Manager, Dr Muktar Muhammad, on Monday, said, “We have suffered a major setback in the last few hours regarding the taunted safety and efficacy of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. We have seen in the news how some countries have deferred the usage of this vaccine or have suspended its use. The list of the European countries is growing.
“However, it is very reassuring to see that the regulatory agencies in those countries have continued to emphasise that the vaccine is safe and that the incidents of blood clotting reported in the patients are not higher than the risk of blood clotting in people who are not vaccinated. So, it is something really reassuring.
“It is also heart- warming to see that the WHO has again issued statements – over the last few days, the WHO has been bringing out statements regarding the safety and efficacy of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. It is therefore important that we take this information seriously and that we use it as a guide towards the implementation of our programmes.”
The Incident Manager noted that Nigeria’s health sector, especially the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and National Health Care Development Agency, was “working not only to reassure Nigerians but also to make a determination to continue to get information regarding any side effects that people are experiencing in this country.”
“So, with this, I will say that the available information from the clinical trials has shown that the vaccine is generally safe and efficacious, and that it has an efficacy of about 70 per cent. The side effects are usually mild, which include fever, cough and cold. Any symptoms that have persisted more than 24 hours should be reported through the right channel at the state level, through the PHCDA and the state case managers.”
The PTF warned Nigerians against capitalising on the arrival of the vaccine in the country to flout the laid-down COVID-19 protocols, which include the use of face masks, observance of physical distancing at public events.
The task force also urged state governments to intensify efforts at enforcement of health regulations signed by the President “until we reach a certain point where we are comfortable with the level of immunity in the country.”
Muhammad said, “It is sad to note that some people of very high positions, particularly some political and religious leaders, have used this opportunity to provide misinformation to the public regarding the response and the efficacy of the vaccine.
“We urge them to please contact the relevant experts in the field before they make these pronouncements. Any pronouncement by a responsible political or religious leader to a gathering should be based on science and facts, and not just what they feel at that moment.”
In view of the growing number of European countries taking precautions about the vaccine, this platform cannot say at this time, the actual position of Nigerian government on it.
(Photo: Associated Press)