Nigeria’s Presidency has allayed fears of any side effect being experienced by the country’s President Muhammadu Buhari after he was administered the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on Saturday.
Garba Shehu, a senior special assistant to President Buhari on media and publicity in a statement said the response was necessitated by press enquiries and aimed at dispelling fears about the safety of the vaccine.
“In response to press enquiries, I like to assure all citizens, and to dispel fears and misconceptions about the safety of the vaccine administered on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN,” the statement read.
“After he got his jab, the President felt normal and went about doing his job. If there are side effects that follow, we will be open about that but so far there is nothing of a side effect, serious or mild on the President. He is carrying on as normal.
“We hope this will help to send a strong message among the people, especially those grappling with hesitancy about the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.”
ARISE News had reported how the Nigerian leader, Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo received a shot of the vaccine at the presidential villa.
Buhari was inoculated by Suhayb Sanusi Rafindadi, the president’s personal physician, while the vice-president’s shot was also administered by Nicolas Audiferren, his personal physician.
The highest populated African nation commenced its COVID-19 vaccination on Friday with frontline health workers in Abuja.
The first shot of the vaccine was given to Cyprian Ngong, a medical doctor at the National Hospital, Abuja.
Faisal Shuaib, chief executive officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), administered the dosage