Health
By Benprince Ezeh
FAISAL Shuaib, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, has said that about 122,410 persons have been vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccines.
Shuaib said at the national Presidential Task Force, PTF, briefing in Abuja on Monday, March 22, that only Kogi, Kebbi, Zamfara and Oyo States were yet to officially kick-off the vaccination programme.
“Kebbi State will be flagging off the vaccination campaign on Monday at 3pm.
“Some of the information reaching us from the states is that there are reports of alleged vaccine mismanagement at some vaccination sites at the Police Clinic, Falomo in Lagos state. This is currently being investigated and we understand from the Lagos state government that a report would be made available today (Monday).
“We anticipate that decisive action will be taken against anyone found culpable of subverting the vaccination process. So, we do expect full application of the accountability mechanism. Beyond this case, the federal government is following closely on its vaccine accountability framework to ensure that similar cases of vaccine mismanagement and other sharp practices are quashed.
“We have established a collaborative partnership with regulatory and anti-corruption agencies to further strengthen vaccine accountability,” Shuaib said.
According to him, Oyo state is set to commence any moment as there are indications that the state can start vaccination on Monday.
On reservations against AstraZeneca vaccines, he said a study in the US had shown that no cases of a blood clot and that the vaccine is fully safe and efficacious.
“Recently, there have been concerns raised on the safety and efficacy of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.
”The European Medicines Agency has declared the Oxford organic COVID-19 vaccine as safe and efficacious after an investigation that was conducted in two cases of adverse events of blood clotting alleged to have been linked to the batch of the vaccine in some European countries,” he said.
Shuaib said that the long-awaited U.S trial of the vaccine confirmed that it was both safe and highly effective.
“It’s about 100 percent effective at preventing serious illness, with a study recently carried out showed no issue regarding blood clots,” he said.
– Mar. 24, 2021 @ 12:30 GMT |
Tags: COVID-19: 4 states yet to begin vaccination - Shuaib
