NAFDAC raises the alarm on fake COVID-19 vaccines

 The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on Sunday warned Nigerians to be wary of fake COVID – 19 vaccines in the country.

The organisation also warned Nigerians to “refrain from procuring the vaccine online to avoid falling into the wrong hands of merchants of death.”

The agency warned Nigerians to be vigilant and expose anyone who might want to divert COVID-19 vaccines donated by international donors for profiteering.The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, issued the warning in a statement by its Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola.

She said, “The public must be on the lookout for these spurious and counterfeit vaccines and other regulated products”, she warned.

No fewer than 5,000 health personnel in the Federal Capital Territory will receive the COVID-19 vaccines on Monday (today) and Tuesday.The frontline workers would be given the jabs at the Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja, where the vaccination would be inaugurated by the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello.

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Disclosing this to our correspondent on the telephone on Saturday, the acting Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr Mohammed Kawu, explained that other categories of residents would be vaccinated subsequently.

Kawu said, “By Monday, we start with health workers only; we would take all the heath workers Monday, Tuesday or so; whether you are private, whether you are public. After that we would announced the next group.  In FCT public hospitals, we have about 5,000 workers but we are collating, we have not got the number of health workers in the private hospitals.”

He further said other individuals would be directed to any of the 65 vaccination points across the six area councils in the FCT for their jabs.

There are 25 vaccination centres in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, 10 in Bwari, 10 in Gwagwalada, eight in Kuje, seven in Kwali and five in Abaji area council.