NPHCDA says vaccines in Nigeria are safe

NPHCDA says vaccines in Nigeria are safe

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) urged Nigerians to ignore misconceptions and myths surrounding vaccines. They encouraged people to bring themselves and their wards for vaccination against diseases that can be prevented by vaccines.

The agency advised that all Nigerians should wholeheartedly accept any vaccine approved by the relevant authorities and introduced in the country. These vaccines are provided free of charge and have been deemed safe, harmless, and effective.

Speaking in Makurdi at the Benue State Dissemination and Validation meeting based on the COVID-19 Vaccine Technical Assisted Programme carried out by the SOLINA Health Group in Benue state, member of the National Advocacy Communication and Social Mobilization Working Group of the Department of Advocacy and Communication, NPHCDA, Abubakar Yahaya noted that government ensures maximum safety of all vaccines that come to the country.

According to him, “A survey was carried out about a few years back on community-based perception of COVID-19 vaccine. Today we are doing the dissemination of the findings. It centred on what the perception of the people is about COVID-19 and their willingness to ensure that they are vaccinated. And if they are not, what are the misconceptions, what are those myths that discourage them from taking the vaccine?

“And message to Nigerians is that they should be assured that every type of vaccine that is introduced into the country is free, safe and effective.

“Whenever the government introduces any vaccine into the country we should all embrace it wholeheartedly because it is meant for our good and to protect us all from vaccine-preventable diseases.

“We must all bear in mind that no government will deliberately harm its citizens hence no government will ask its citizens to present themselves to be vaccinated with a deadly substance.

“What I am saying, in essence, is that every vaccine that is introduced in the country, just like the Human PapillomaVirus, HPV, vaccine and all others, goes through all safety checks by all relevant agencies before it is approved for use in the country.

“That is why we urge Nigerians to disregard the misconceptions and myths about vaccines and present themselves and their children for vaccination whenever vaccines are introduced in the country to protect themselves, their children and wards from vaccine-preventable diseases and ailments for the collective good of all.”