National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said contending with the minimal side effects of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is better than dying of COVID-19 complications.
Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the agency who said this, believes that with the number of lives lost to the pandemic, halting the vaccination campaign in the country is not advisable.
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Speaking on ChannelsTV, the NAFDAC boss stated,
People are dying of COVID-19. The vaccines should not be stopped unless it is a statistically massive occurrence[side effects].
Although many countries have halted the use of the AstraneZeneca vaccines over fears about possible side effects like blood clotting, Adeyeye believes that the benefits of taking the jabs far outweigh such fear.
“It is knowing that these are serious but the benefits outweigh the risk,” she insisted, admitting, however, that there is a need for more engagement to know people’s reactions to drugs.
Adeyeye expressed;
It is logical to think that way but when you come to think of the many hundred of thousands that are dying, especially in Europe, of COVID disease, then you start wondering, is it better to die than take a risk of 0.00002%?
I don’t blame [countries halting the administration of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine] but, at the same time, we have to look at the risk of getting COVID-19 disease versus the risk of getting a side effect of the adverse effects.
She said the vaccine is not the first to be used under emergency authorization, explaining that other COVID-19 vaccines have been reported to have had adverse effects on people who took the shots.
According to her, over 500 persons have been vaccinated against the virus at the National Hospital in Abuja, but she said only about six persons had side effects like fever, chills, and pain.
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“But we have not reported adverse events of serious nature or special interest,” she added, conceding, however, that it “may” happen later.
MDB had reported the suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine by several European countries amid the reports of blood clot by some recipients.
The development created fear and aided the anti-vaccine sentiment being spread around.
Adeyeye said these countries are pausing vaccination for only a limited period.
The NAFDAC DG reiterated the position of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) that evidence has shown the vaccine may not be the cause of blood clot in some recipients.
She added;
The blood clot has not been tied to the vaccine. They are still studying it because you have what is called causality: what is causing this? There is so much to learn about the disease, about the vaccine.
