By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The National Orientation Agency, NOA, has warned Nigerians on the sinister motives making rounds about the COVID-19 vaccines and advised the public to disregard conspiracy theories associated to such.
Director General of NOA, Garba Abari, gave the warning while responding to insinuations of possible use of the vaccines as a population control cum DNA altering measure.
Abari debunked the idea, stressing that no vaccine will be allowed into Nigeria or administered to Nigerians without thorough testing and approval by relevant Nigerian authorities.
He said the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), as the Agency responsible for certifying medications for use in Nigeria and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), as the Agency responsible for administration of vaccines in Nigeria will never allow any vaccine that will endanger the lives and wellbeing of Nigerians.
Abari noted that the COVID-19 Vaccines are the products of rigorous research by globally reputable companies which produce many of the vaccines used against several other diseases across the world, including Nigeria, adding that the COVID-19 Vaccines have been subjected to standard tests and certified safe by the World Health Organization.
He described as unfortunate the narratives being put out by some leaders in the country alleging that the vaccines have ulterior motives.
He called on political, religious and traditional leaders to be cautious with their utterances and be guided by reliable and verifiable knowledge base rather than assumptions to avoid misguiding their followers.
He therefore urged Nigerians to make themselves available for COVID-19 vaccination whenever the vaccines are available in the country and administered by the NPHCDA after NAFDAC approval as there is no cause for apprehension over the vaccines.
