By The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has allayed fears raised by Nigerians over the adminstration of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in the country, saying there are no reports of severe side effects so far.
Recall Nigeria, on March 5, commenced its COVID-19 vaccination with frontline health workers in Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo were among the first recipients to receive the vaccine in Nigeria, followed by presidential aides, several state governors, among others.
There have been concerns in some European countries over the reported development of blood clots in some recipients of the vaccine, forcing them to stop its adminstration.
The NPHCDA, however, said in a tweet on Monday that the doses of the vaccines are safe, stressing no one who has received the shot in Nigeria has so far presented any “severe side effects”.
It tweeted, “FACT: No Nigerian so far has developed any known severe side effects following vaccination with AstraZeneca vaccine.”
FACT: No Nigerian so far has developed any known severe side effects following vaccination with AstraZeneca vaccine 💉#YesToCOVID19Vaccine pic.twitter.com/N7KENJ01tk
— NPHCDA (@NphcdaNG) March 22, 2021
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the agency, Dr. Faisal Shuiab, while speaking at the weekly national briefing of the PTF on COVID-19 on Monday, said the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has declared the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as safe and efficacious after thorough investigations conducted into the cases of adverse events of blood clotting.
“Results from the long-awaited US trial of the Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine confirm its both safe and highly effective. It is 79% effective at stopping symptomatic Covid, 100% effective at preventing serious illness. The study showed no issues regarding blood clots,” he stated.
He added no Nigerian so far has developed any known severe side effects following vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, except for some mild side effects such as pain and swelling at the site of the vaccination, body pains and mild fever.
