…Highlight Underlying Health Issues As Justification For Not Receiving Vaccination
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to benefit from trial vaccines to prevent the spread of the dreaded coronavirus pandemic, frontline medical practitioners, especially some of the recently vaccinated doctors have allayed the fear of negative consequences in taking the COVID-19 vaccines while giving assurances that the available vaccines in Nigeria hold good promises to check the spread of the pandemic.
The medical practitioners revealed this on a programme to douse tension and clear misconceptions among Nigerians about taking COVID-19 vaccines. The doctors are Dr. Amon Zambo, Dr. Amina Abubakar, Dr. Robert Egot and Dr. Akanimo Ebong, all are vaccinated and frontline workers in the fight against the corona virus pandemic.
Speaking about the efficacy of the Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine, Dr. Robert Egot, one of the frontline workers said that the vaccine prepares the immune system to respond to virus attack in case of any infection and as such people should take advantage of it against the backdrop of its proven 65percent efficaciousness. He noted that those who may avoid taking the vaccine are those who may be suffering from extreme condition or certain vulnerability. His stand was supported by his colleagues who noted that pregnant women and those below the age of 18years.
The medical doctors were of the view that those with underlying health issues should contact their doctors, with a view to addressing the conditions before getting vaccinated.
Doctor Zambo, Amina Abubakar, Akanimo and Egot were unanimous in their reactions that having been vaccinated they felt normal, with no adverse effects to their health.
But Dr. Akanimo Ebong stressed that some people may record mild reactions like inflammation on the spot where they took the jab or some feverish condition which he said is normal with vaccinations sometimes. He warned against consumption of alcohol after getting vaccinated for COVID-19.
He also stated that the eight to twelve weeks scheduled for the second shot of the vaccination is to prepare the body.
On her own part, Dr. Abubakar urged Nigerians not to abandon the protocols after being vaccinated for the virus. She urged Nigerians to continue with the use of alcohol base hand sanitizer, use of nose masks and observe social distancing that it would help guarantee maximum protection and help everyone return to social interaction. She said that government should ensure that the vaccine is fairly distributed, while adding that adequate public participation will help to kick out the virus.
In a similar development, a public health physician Dr. Ajoke Adewole commended the government for prioritizing frontline workers in the COVID-19 vaccination process.
She expressed understanding of the stance of those who are skeptical about using the vaccine, saying there is no perfect vaccine that is 100 percent safe, “but if the safety profile is there and the adverse effect is low then it is fine.” She noted that since the flag off of the COVID-19 vaccination so far, the promises are more than concerns.
According to Dr. Adewole the vaccine brought into the country will help reduce death and spread of the disease. She urged Nigerians not to stop observing protocols.
On the issue of first and second dose of the vaccine, the medical doctor said that it is a good opportunity to take the first dose, but whenever the opportunity comes, it is better to take the second dose after about 8 to 12 weeks.
She responded to the opinion by conspiracy theorist about the COVID vaccine, saying people should consider the amount of research that went into the vaccines available and consider them good enough. She said that the discovery of vaccines against COVID-19 is a good moral boosting which came out of necessity.
It would be recalled that the country already has over 2.5million people who registered online for the vaccine.
