From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Benue State Deputy Governor and Action Committee Chairman on COVID-19, Engr. Benson Abounu has explained why the state Governor, Samuel Ortom and himself or any other top Government officials have not taken the COVID-19 vaccination as had been done in other states.
Abounu who made this known on Tuesday in a chat with newsmen after the meeting of the Committee held at Government House, Makurdi
expressed skepticism on the efficacy of the Astrazeneca vaccine being administered in Nigeria.
He maintained that based on the skepticism, 12 European nations have already suspended the administration of the vaccine.
“The issue is that I know some persons who took the vaccine before the advent of the report we are getting now and they experienced blood clotting.
“Blood clotting is a serious medical issue because all blood flows through the veins to the body all the way to the brain. And should there be a clot somewhere, the blood stops and cannot go further and then you have a big trouble,” he said.
The Deputy Governor wondered why Astrazeneca vaccine happened to be the one that came to Nigeria and not Johnson and Johnson or Modena or any other vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).
He said it was for this reason that the state action committee on COVID-19 had decided that Benue people take the vaccine voluntarily.
“Since we are having this challenge, it is obviously in a good stead to take it voluntarily because there are indemnities granted to the manufacturers that should anyone take the vaccine and experience adverse effects including death. The manufacturers would not be held liable either would the government be held liable and nobody will be paid any compensation.
“So, you see, we cannot say examples must be made by way of starting the vaccination with the Governor, Deputy Governor, State Executive Council Members and State Assembly members and others”, Abounu said.
Relatedly, the State government has notified members of the public about the commencement of the vaccination against COVID-19 on Thursday 18th March, 2021 at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) Makurdi on a voluntary basis.
Daily Sun gathered that more than 123 medical team would be dispatched across the 23 local government areas while research pillars of the committee are to monitor the vaccination and give feedback for possible adverse effect and referral.