Nigeria declares Astrazeneca vaccine safe

The Federal Government of Nigeria has assured of the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, saying it has no significant adverse effect.

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. 

More countries suspend AstraZeneca vaccine as WHO investigates

More countries are fully or partially suspending the use of the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine over reports of alleged fatal blood clots among recipients, as the World Health Organization (WHO) is reviewing the available vaccine data. 

France has suspended vaccinations with the vaccine as a precaution for at least 24 hours on the orders of President Emmanuel Macron. 

Spain announced a minimum 15-day suspension effective immediately, while Germany stopped administering the AstraZeneca vaccine on the same day. 

Italy's suspension expanded nationwide as a precautionary measure, after its northern region announced a halt in use following the death of a local teacher on Sunday who was inoculated one day before. 

European countries including the Netherlands, Ireland, Cyprus, Denmark, Austria, Iceland, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia have already suspended the vaccine. 

Thailand was the first Asian country to halt the use of the jab over safety concerns. However, no African country has stopped the rollout of the vaccine. 

Nigeria received 16 million doses of the jab from the COVAX Facility and has distributed to the states where vaccinations have commenced since last week. 

On its investigation into the safety concerns of the jab, the WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus stated that it was routine. 

"This does not necessarily mean these events are linked to COVID-19 vaccination, but it's routine practice to investigate them, and it shows that the surveillance system works and that effective controls are in place. " 

The WHO's Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety is reviewing the available data and met on Tuesday for further discussion. 

Tedros said the WHO was aware multiple countries had suspended the use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine following reports of blood clots in people who had received the vaccine from two batches produced in Europe. 

A spokesperson for AstraZeneca explained that a review of safety data of people vaccinated with the shot has shown no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots. 

 "An analysis of our safety data of more than 10 million records has shown no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis in any defined age group, gender, batch or in any particular country with COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca. "

"In fact, the observed number of these types of events is significantly lower in those vaccinated than what would be expected among the general population, " AstraZeneca noted. 

The European Medicines Agency stressed that there was no indication the shot was causing blood clots, adding that it believes the vaccine's benefits continue to outweigh its risks, even as the WHO also said, there is no indication to not use it.