Covid-19 : ‘No Vaccine Is 100% Safe’ – Enugu Commissioner

The commissioner for health, Enugu State, Dr Emmanuel Ikechukwu Obi, Thursday, described insinuations that Covid-19 vaccines being expected in Nigeria are fake as the handiwork of conspiracy theorists, adding that fears about the vaccine were unfounded.

Dr Obi, in an exclusive chat with THE WHISTLER, said, “The idea of compromising vaccines is not new. In the past, many people have brought out this type of information about vaccines. In this world, there are always a nay sayers and yes sayers. There are people, who for one reason or the other, would like to destroy innovations or speak against great strides that people are making.

“We have all witnessed how the pandemic is ravaging the world. When we talk about vaccines, it is the solution to protect people against the pandemic. I wonder why people would go the way of trying to speak against the potency of vaccines that would be sent to Africa. We must continue to have conspiracy theorists. There has never been a vaccine that is 100 percent safe. Speaking as a scientist, a lot of things in medicine has come as a result of empirical actions. When things have been looked at empirically, people should accept them with open minds. If we receive adulterated vaccines in Africa, such could trigger new variants of diseases that could threaten the entire world. If somebody wants to bring an adulterated vaccine to Africa, the person’s intention is to destroy the whole world. I don’t think there is any plan towards that. You condemn Covid-19 vaccines, and ironically we are winning the war against yellow fever in Enugu State with yellow fever vaccines. People should not propagate such. Central to the production of the Pfizer vaccine produced in the US is an Igbo man, Dr Ogbuagu. So how would he be a part of that?”

On the efforts to contain the yellow fever that was recently experienced in the state, Dr Obi said, “The response to the yellow fever was intense. All partners and stakeholders came together. It affected ten local government areas; and reactive mass vaccination had taken place in those LGAs. Our target is 95% coverage, and within the first week, we pressed on. I can confidently say that we have achieved the 95% vaccination coverage. Surveillance is not ending. We are keeping our eyes open to see if pockets of the disease will rear their head again. We are targeting to vaccinate the entire state to ensure that the disease is chased out.”