Health

The Federal Government has dispelled the possibility of any fake COVID-19 vaccines being administered or sold by unauthorized institutions in the country. This was contained in a circular signed by Dr. Adebimpe Adebiyi, the Director, Department of Hospital Service, Federal Ministry of Health, on behalf of the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire in Abuja. The circular followed a letter from the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 regarding the arrest of about 3,000 doses of fake COVID-19 vaccines destined for Africa from China.

At least 122,410 Nigerians have been vaccinated with the Oxford-AstraZeneca since the launch of the vaccination exercise on March 5, 2021, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 said.

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called on Nigerians to ensured that the AstraZeneca vaccine being administered to them carries the original label of the company. The Agency revealed that the warning has become necessary as there are chances of fake dosages being in circulation in the country. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye issued the statement today in Abuja. 

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) via its official Twitter page has announced that the country’s death toll still stands at 2,027. Although, 130 cases from 13 states were reported on Friday; NCDC last recorded a death on March 17. Aside from Sunday, Friday is the third day this week no case of COVID-19 related death was reported.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. EU’s Medicines Agency Chief, Emer Cooke made this known to newsmen during a press conference after a probe of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine by the body’s safety committee on Thursday.

President Emmanuel Macron of France has suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in his country insists that until the European Medicine Agency (EMA) review it. Macron’s decision to suspend the vaccine as a precautionary measure following the alarm raised by some European countries within the week, but hoping to resume when the EMA give it a node, the president told the press. He said, “We have a simple guide, to be informed by science and the competent health authorities and to do it as part of a European strategy,”.