The executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib has called on Nigerians to hold their states accountable for the resources sent to support COVID-19 vaccination activities.
Shuaib, who made this call today (March 9, 2023), emphasised that the COVID-19 vaccines are free and efficient and do not cause harm or make anyone sick. He explained that mild side effects such as fatigue, headache, chills, slight fever and pain or numbness at the site of vaccination, may or may not occur, and usually disappear within a day or two.
“However,” he clarified “in case of any reactions after vaccination, individuals should contact the disease surveillance and notification officer or their healthcare provider, whose phone number is provided on their vaccination card”.
Shuaib stressed that it is everyone’s collective responsibility to educate others about the benefits of immunisation, to build a healthy community. He reminded the public that immunisation helps to build population herd immunity against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Also, he announced that the Johnson and Johnson single-dose vaccine is available at all vaccination sites nationwide and urged everyone to get vaccinated, as the best time to do so is now.
As of March 1, 2023, only 68,781,471 of the total eligible persons targeted for COVID-19 vaccination in 36 states and the FCT were fully vaccinated, while 11,791,111 were partially vaccinated.
