TARABA PHCDA DISPELS RUMOURS OVER COVID-19 VACCINE
By Jethro Yerga, Jalingo
The Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care Development Agency, Hon. Hassan Jauro has dispelled all the rumours being peddled by People across different quarters that AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine is fake.
The secretary who spoke with journalists over the various issues surrounding the vaccine at the Taraba State Government House Jalingo where the governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku alongside his deputy, Engr. Haruna Manu took their first phase of the vaccine, said it was obnoxious and disappointing for people to seat in their comfort zones and begins to castigate a product of science which had passed through various elements of trouble shooting.
“Vaccines are products of Science. I want to assure you that all efforts and elements of trouble shooting that has to do with the vaccine have been done both at the national level and at its arrival in Nigeria. NAFDAC had taken its time to ensure that the vaccine is safe and effective and has given a clean bill of health to the vaccine. “He said.
He however noted that the vaccine is not a substitute for hand washing, wearing of face mask, use of sanitizers and other COVID-19 guidelines. While emphasizing on the efficacy and safety of the vaccine, the Executive Secretary said the vaccine is one of the best things that has ever happened to the country.
According to him, it has provided people the opportunity to have even its content to be stored in an affordable and appreciable level of +2 to +8 degree centigrade unlike other vaccines. Hon. Hassan said the vaccine was only meant to improve and increase the immune system of individuals so that even if they come across the virus, the severity of its effect would not be so much on them not to talk of infecting other persons. He said each individual is expected to have two shots of the vaccine at the interval of three month after the first one.
The dose according to the Executive Secretary had been classified into phases. The first phase he said had to do with frontline health workers. This would be follow by political heads, people of the ages between 55 and above especially people that have co morbidity and people from 18 years and above.
The secretary revealed that at the instance, they had commenced the vaccination with the first round where 562, 50 doses was going to be used as the exercise would run up to 2022.
He commended Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku for presenting himself for the vaccine, maintaining that the governor’s decision was a clear indication of the fact that the vaccine was safe and effective. Hon. Hassan called on journalists to spread the good news about the vaccine so that the world would access it to keep the country safe in the near future.
Meanwhile, the state commissioner of health, Hon. Innocent Vakkai had earlier stated that over 487 million people had already been vaccinated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine across the world.
