As Nigeria continue to put in place measures and strategies to overcome the dreaded COVID-19 Pandemic with over 250,000 confirmed cases and over 3,000 deaths recorded so far nationally, a Public Health Expert, Mr. Michael Idoko has charged Nigerians to ensure that they are vaccinated against the virus which has brought untold hardship to the human race globally.

Mr. Michael Idoko, a Medical Laboratory Scientist and Lecturer with Federal College of Veterinary and Medical Laboratory Technology Vom, Plateau State disclosed that the World Health Organization (WHO) and other National Health Agencies have certified the efficacy and safety of the vaccines in circulation to mankind having gone through several phases of clinical trials.

He made the disclosures as a Guest during a Special COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Programme sponsored by MacArthur Foundation in conjunction with Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on KT 103.9 FM Jos, Plateau State.
The Health Expert said just like any other vaccine, the COVID-19 has been scientifically proven to be safe and effective for the cure of the COVID-19.
He said the vaccine is biological preparation aimed at stimulating the immune response. He said vaccines are prepared to activate the immune system and the process of vaccination he said is the treatment using vaccines to cure or prevent the body against diseases, infections and outbreaks.
He said human beings have gone through series of vaccinations from children such as vaccines against Measles, Polio etc and hinted that with the outbreak of viral diseases, it is pertinent that remedies are being sought to cure and prevent the people.
“Vaccines have been part of us and the importance of vaccines cannot be overemphasized”
“Two-third of the present generation would had been wiped out long ago without vaccines”
“The general public should accept and embrace COVID-19 Vaccines” he said.

He also pointed out that vaccines dated as far back as 1796, which was the Year the first vaccine was produced by a British Doctor, Edward Jenner which has evolved over time.
He said only the smallpox virus was successfully wiped out completely and eradicated 42 Years ago in 1980 when the WHO declared the World free of smallpox. He said even the Rinderpest disease that affected animals has been completely wiped out since 2011 as a result of vaccine.
The Health Expert urged the people to discard all misgivings about the COVID-19 vaccines and accept them saying the advantage of taking the vaccines far outweighs the danger of not being vaccinated. He said Countries worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic such as Italy, United Kingdom, United States, Brazil, Peru and others have embraced and accepted the vaccines taking into account the fatality rates from the virus.
According to the Public Health Expert, COVID-19 Vaccines are safe, they are not just produced because they undergo pre-clinical trials using animals and three different human trials starting from Fifty (50) persons then hundreds of persons and thousands of persons with the purpose of ensuring the vaccines are not toxic and to avert potentially dangerous reactions.
He hinted that whenever vaccines are produced, the World Health Organization (WHO) sends a Strategic Advisory Committee comprising of Experts on Immunization to verify the efficacy and effectiveness of all vaccines produced before they get to the market for human use.
He further stressed that the WHO also has a Global Advisory Committee on Vaccines Safety which is a body saddled with the responsibility to ensure that when vaccines are produced, they are verified before they hit the market.
He said the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccines Safety monitors and observes the vaccines after usage by the end user to ensure there are minimal reported cases of fatalities, mortalities or morbidities.

He attributed the speedy production of vaccines to technology and the global synergy among health Experts.
He said the WHO and other International Health Organization has a Global Health Brighton Innovation International that assembled 750 Experts who are best in the field of vaccine production to ensure speedy production of vaccines on account of the impact of the pandemic and a lot of global funding was invested into the process.
The WHO, Centres for Disease Control and Strategic Advisory Group came together to ensure speedy remedy for the virus.
He said the vaccines currently being used for COVID-19 are genetic vaccines (messenger ribonucleic acid -MRNA) which doesn’t take long to be ready.
He said there was already an ongoing technology to make vaccine production faster.
He said the vaccine produces spike protein which stimulates the body system develop antibodies which help to combat or prevent the virus.

He lauded global health Professionals for coming together in unity to work towards finding solution to the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.

Idoko said those who are not vaccinated has high risk of dying from the virus compared to those who vaccinated. He encouraged the people not to be scared of COVID-19 Vaccines.
He spoke on the importance of attaining health immunity, where most population are vaccinated and the tendency of the infection spreading is minimal.

“The more we take the vaccine, the less likely we are to break down or fall to COVID-19” he said.

He said children and much older population have weaker immune system compare to the younger people who are agile and active and whose immune system is stronger.
He urged the older population not to be scared of the mild reactions from the vaccines saying they power the immune system to prevent them against the virus.

He said the mutation of the COVID-19 virus (variant) is what is responsible for the uptake of booster shots to increase the body’s immunity.

He said wealthy Nations are putting funds together to enable citizens from developing Countries get access to vaccines at no cost.

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Health Expert, Michael Idoko Urge Citizens to Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19