Beware of fake vaccines, Ehanire warns Nigerians

Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire has warned Nigerians over the circulation of fake COVID-19 vaccines in many countries.

Ehanire, who gave the warning when he visited the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, asserted that criminals are taking advantage of high demands for COVID-19 vaccines to produce unregulated ones.

“All the vaccines they are peddling around, a lot of fake vaccines are already in the market, because countries are very desperate.  So, fake vaccines are already being produced and being marketed all over the place.  Don’t follow fake vaccines; follow warning from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA),” he said.

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has approved AstraZeneca for use in Nigeria.

The minister said Nigeria is still expecting to receive AstraZeneca and Russian Sputnik in the next two to three weeks.

“We placed order for a total of 42 million doses from COVAX, another 41 million from Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) and we ordered 10 million from the Russians. What we are getting from the African Union are three types:  AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, that’s a single shot, which is good for nomadic people because you will not see them for the second dose.”

Ehanire, however, added that frontline health workers would be the first to get vaccinated because they are the ones facing the risk of getting exposed.