Children in Nigeria will not be given COVID-19 vaccine, FG explains why
- The federal government has shared the reason why children will not be receiving the COVID-19 vaccine when distribution commences
- According to the government, vaccines are yet to be proven safe for those below the age of 18
- The information was released on behalf of the government by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency
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As COVID-19 infection rates continue to go higher, children in Nigeria will not be vaccinated against the raging virus, the federal government has said.
According to Premium Times, when the approved Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrives in the country, Nigerian children will not be on the list for distribution.
Dr. Faisal Shuaib, the executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), revealed this at the weekly briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 held on Monday, February 22.
Source: Getty Images
Shuaib explained that the serum has not been proven to be safe for children, adding that evidence showed the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine was only tried on individuals above the age of 18.
This development is coming after the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) approved the use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria.
NAFDAC's director-general, Mojisola Adeyeye, made the announcement on Thursday, February 18.
Adeyeye also stated that the vaccine can be stored at 2 to 8-degree centigrade.
Categories of citizens to first get COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria
Meanwhile, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency listed the categories of people to get vaccinated in Nigeria first as COVID-19 infection rates continue to go higher in the country.
NPHCDA boss, Dr. Faisal Shuaib revealed this on Saturday, February 6, while addressing a joint press conference alongside a representative of the World Health Organisation in Abuja.
According to him, frontline health workers, elderly people and persons with co-morbidities, and strategic country leadership will be prioritised for vaccination.
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Oluwatobi Bolashodun is a Legit.ng journalist with six years of working experience in the media industry. She graduated from Babcock University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication. Oluwatobi is a Current Affairs Editor, mostly writing on political, educational, and business topics. She uses her team spirit to encourage others to work hard.
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