Govt Speaks On Use Of COVID-19 Vaccine As Child Birth, Population Control

The Osun State government has debunked rumours that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be used by the government as a birth/population control mechanism for Nigerians.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu said there is no truth in the rumour that the COVID-19 vaccine is a plan by the government to make Nigerians sterile.

He noted that the vaccine has no negative effect on the health of the people.

Isamotu made the clarification on Monday when he appeared on Frank Talk, a radio current affair programme in Osogbo, the state capital.

He further encouraged the citizens to take the vaccine whenever it becomes available to them, noting that it the best way to curb the spread of the virus and end the pandemic.

Specifically, he disclosed that the Osun State government has made provisions to keep the vaccines cold and in usable conditions when it gets its share of the vaccine.

The commissioner added that while there is no particular date for vaccination to start in Osun, the state will commence the training of health workers ahead of the administration of the vaccines in the state.

In other news, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari, was on Monday vaccinated against COVID-19 alongside other top government officials.

Naija News gathered that Buhari’s CoS was vaccinated about 10:28 am at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, also took his at 10:39 am while the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Tijjani Umar, received his vaccination at 10:43 am.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, received his at 10:41 am.

The Chief Nursing Officer of the State House Clinic, Esther Ibrahim, vaccinated all the government officials.

Speaking after his vaccination, Gambari said it was painless and that he followed the footsteps of Buhari who demonstrated leadership alongside his deputy by receiving the jabs publicly on Saturday.