Joseph Bakare
Appeal is the proper approach to be adopted by The Federal Government to persuade Nigerians on the need to take the Oxford AstraZeneca Vaccines for COVID -19, prevention.
Dr Olorunnibe Mamora, the Minister of State for Health, who made the disclosure, on Friday, March 19, in Asaba, while engaging the media shortly after he inaugurated some projects at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, said the vaccine will not be forced on anyone.
Mamora, pointed out that Kogi was not ready to take delivery of the vaccine and that the Federal Government would not compel any state to do so.
“Kogi lacked storage facilities for cold chain, security, logistics, and personnel to administer the vaccines.
“Also, let me state clearly here that from the onset, the Federal Government made it clear that it will not force anyone to take the vaccine; but rather will continue to appeal to people in their own interests.
“Aside from that, in Kogi, that you mentioned specifically; one of the reasons the vaccine has not been sent there is because, during the #EndSARS crisis, some of their facilities were violently destroyed.
“So, as we speak, Kogi does not even have the facilities for storage to maintain the cold chain. So, that is the reason the state has not been supplied,” he said.
The Minister stated that the Federal Government had given conditions to the states; to ensure readiness in terms of cold chain facility; logistics; security; and personnel to administer the vaccine, before they could be supplied.
On the suspension of the vaccine in some European countries, Mamora said it might be political; insisting that the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine was safe and efficient.
He said: “One thing I will say as a personal opinion which I am not afraid to express is I won’t be surprised if politics is involved because of Brexit and what have you.
“But that is not the most important thing; the most important thing is that even the European Medicine Agency has come out to say the vaccine is safe and efficient. That is the most important thing.
“If you have given close to 20 million vaccinations; and you have maybe less than 20,000, what percentage of the over 20 million is the 20,000? That is infinitesimal’’, the Minister said.
