COVID 19: FG Begs Nigerians To Take Vaccine

By Tosin Olatokunbo

Amidst the second wave of the COVID 19 blowing across the country, the Federal Government has appealed to Nigerians to ensure that they are vaccinated whenever the vaccines arrived the country.

Dr Faisal Shuaib, the Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA,  made the call during the Presidential Task Force, PTF  briefing on COVID-19 on Thursday in Abuja.

The Presidential Task Force, PTF had on Friday said another lockdown is imminent due to the rising wave of the virus.

The federal government also said it was already discussing, with some countries in Europe and China on how to make the vaccines available for Nigerians.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that  Nigeria intends  to get 42 million COVID-19 vaccines to cover one fifth of its population through the global COVAX scheme.

Both President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has assured Nigerians their preparedness to be vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, in accordance with the federal government’s readiness to encourage Nigerians to take the vaccine.

United State of America, USA President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect, Kamal Haris, Isreali Prime Minister Benjamin Nentayahu and the United Kingdom Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, are among world leaders that have already received the vaccine.

Shuaib said “These critical leaders and others would likely take the vaccine in full glare of the public to demonstrate that this vaccine is safe. So, we have to make provisions for them.

“Even in developed countries, what we have seen is that apart from the prioritisation  of  health workers, you have to also identify with critical leaders that you don’t want to be wiped off by the virus. For example, in warfare, if you want to destroy your enemies, you look for specific leaders, captains, the generals; once you decapitate them, then the soldiers will become weak.

“So, as much as possible,  you do not want to also leave your leaders vulnerable to COVID-19, it doesn’t mean you want to prioritise politicians, that is not correct,’’ he said.

Shuaib said health workers should be priotised when the vaccine arrived the country being that they are in the frontline of the pandemic.