Over 8,000 Nigerians Reported Minimal Adverse Effect of AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine – FG

As more Nigerians get inoculated by the AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine, the Federal Government health agency, NPHCDA (National Primary Health Care Development Agency) reported earlier today that about 8,439 Nigerians have experienced mild side effect from the AstraZeneca jab.

The Executive Director of NPHCDA Faisal Shuaib, disclosed this while speaking at a joint press conference in Abuja.

He stated that over one million Nigerians have received the AstraZeneca jab and those who reported severe side effects were not up to 100, adding that there was 0 record of death or blood clots associated with the distribution of them Vaccine. His statement reads;

“Out of over a million persons given the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria, 8,439 persons have suffered mild adverse events following immunisation (AEFI), and 52 persons moderate to severe adverse events on receiving the jab,” Shuaib said.

“While the mild reactions include body pains and swelling, the moderate to severe adverse events presented were fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, dizziness and allergic reactions.”

Dr. Faisal listed the five states with the highest records of side effects as Kaduna (970), Cross River (859), Yobe (541), Kebbi (511), and Lagos (448), noting that investigation is ongoing to verify the nature of the symptoms.

Speaking on the global shortfall of COVID-19 vaccines, he noted that Nigeria has reassessed its vaccine supply forecasts and taken the decision that everyone who has taken the vaccine in the current phase would get the second dose before the next consignment was delivered to Nigeria

Country Representative, World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr Walter Mulombo who raised concerns over the COVID-19 vaccine equity amongst countries, noted that the WHO was working assiduously towards ensuring countries like Nigeria without the means to acquire or manufacture the vaccines have access to the vaccines to immunise their citizenry.

“For Nigeria being among the few countries outside that group, WHO is currently engaging the G7 and G20 to try and increase pressure on those countries hoarding the vaccines so that they will redistribute the vaccines and make them available through the COVAX facility or bilateral agreements to countries that need them the most.

“WHO is also engaging the manufacturers for technology transfer so that we can have more sites that will manufacture the vaccines in order to scale up production but we have to recognise that we are facing challenges even within the COVAX facility” Dr. Walter Said.