Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have each received a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
The president was administered the dose by Shuaib Sanusi, his chief personal physician, on Saturday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while the vice president was administered by his own personal physician.
Nigeria’s vaccination kicked off on Friday, 5th March, with the immunization of frontline health workers and other health-care workers, while the president and his vice where scheduled to take theirs on Saturday.
Shortly after the vaccination, the executive director and CEO, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, presented the president and his vice with e-vaccination cards to certify that they have been vaccinated.
The minister of health, Osagie Ehanire, speaking at the event, thanked the president for agreeing to take the vaccine publicly. He said the act will boost the confidence of Nigerians that the vaccines are safe.
The minister also told the president that vaccine hoarding is still ongoing and therefore sought his support to ensure the continuous flow of vaccines into the country to continue immunization.
Ehanire told the president that vaccines have been certified safe and usable by NAFDAC. He further disclosed that the after effects of the vaccination so far are mild. According to him, it could be a small pain in the areas injected and little bit of discomfort, “but no untoward side effects”.
