The Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Enugu State, Mr. Isaac Onukwube has urged residents in the state to disregard death rumors surrounding COVID- 19 vaccine.
Onukwube gave the advice on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.
According to him, the vaccine is real and safe; the arguments whether it is real or infectious is done to discourage people from taking the vaccine.
“The rumor that the vaccine is programmed to reduce Nigerian population or has side effect is nothing but fake news.
“Nigeria is not different from the entire world hit by COVID-19, so people should forget about the conspiracy theory about the vaccine,” he said.
Onukwube stressed that no government would allow western world to bring vaccine that would diminish its population.
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“This vaccine has been subjected to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) check and this is old conspiracy theory.
“This vaccine is the only protection we need in order to run away from the pandemic already in the country,” Onukwube said.
He noted that his main concern was how the vaccine would be made available for every resident in the state due to the few quantity received so far.
“The limited number of the vaccine has made them to prioritize on who should get it first. We are starting from the front-line workers before other citizens,” he said.
The director said that NOA in the state had begun intensive campaign to create awareness about the vaccine in the communities and encouraging them to embrace it.
He said also that they would engage religious, Community leaders and traditional rulers on the need to propagate the information on the safety of the vaccine on their followers.
“We believe if they make a statement on the efficacy and safety of the vaccine, people will believe them,” he said.
Onukwube also advised Nigeria that COVID-19 is real, manageable if only they adhere to non-pharmaceutical procedure and protocols.
NAN reports that Enugu State Government had on Wednesday taken delivery of an undisclosed quantity of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.(NAN)