The apex government said that it was monitoring reports from other countries on the AstraZeneca and all other COVID-19 vaccines, which had been suspended by some European countries over concerns regarding the Batch ABV5300.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, explained at the Monday briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in Abuja, that the government was constantly in touch with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and experts for advice noting that vaccination in the country had been uneventful with no side effect recorded.
Ehanire said President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and other key government leaders who had taken the vaccine along with frontline health workers, were all doing fine.
Many other leaders across the country including governors, traditional leaders, Heads of ministries, departments and agencies have received the first dose of the vaccine, and are all doing fine.
All the identified priority groups are being vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine and the second dose will be in 12 weeks.
He noted that their engagement demonstrates that the vaccine doses received in Nigeria were safe.
Private importation of COVID-19 vaccines is unauthorised in Nigeria due to reports of substandard vaccines in circulation.
Thirty five states including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, except Kogi, have received AstraZeneca vaccine allocations in the last few days, as delivery to the service points are ongoing.
The World Health Organization has insisted there is no risk and instructed that countries should continue to use the vaccine.
However no less than 12 countries, including France, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Iceland, Norway Bulgaria and Thailand have suspended the shot over fears over blood clots and other possible side effects.
Other countries that have blocked the vaccine include Ireland, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Slovenia, and Spain.
The first suspension of the ABV5300 batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine was announced by Austria on March 8, following the death of a 49-year-old nurse from severe bleeding disorders days after receiving it.
Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Luxembourg stopped using doses from the same batch, which was reportedly delivered to about 17 countries.
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