BEVERLY HILLS, March 23, (THEWILL) – The Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, on Monday received his shot of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
He seized upon the moment to allay the fears of anti-vaccine campaigners and other Nigerians who yet to make up their minds about the wisdom in getting theirs or the efficacy of the injections.
The Minister pronounced the process as safe and the vaccine as effective in the face of the still active pandemic.
In his remarks after getting his, Dare said: “I have received the vaccine in order to reassure our athletes, officials and indeed all Nigerians that it is safe, effective and we must all key unto it.
“Apart from Aviation, Entertainment and Tourism, Sports was the worst hit by COVID-19. We had to shut down the National Sports Festival a few days prior to the commencement. The Olympics was also postponed.
“The players, officials and fans were affected. Now that we are back on track, all the protocols put in place like wearing of masks, hand washing, use of sanitatisers and social distancing must be respected. We must take all precautions so that the virus does not spread.”
His assurance may have come too early as news broke on Tuesday that, according to a United States of America health regulator, the coronavirus vaccine information from AstraZeneca may have provided an incomplete view of test results.
This will not help with public perception of the COVID-19 vaccines, which has not been on the convincing side with doubts about possible side effects.
On Tuesday, the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases expressed concern that “outdated information” could have skewed the results showing the efficacy of AstraZeneca.
The announcement followed interim data from the British-Swedish drugmaker that showed the vaccine was 79% effective in preventing symptomatic illness in a large trial conducted with adults in the United States, Chile and Peru and 100% effective against severe or critical forms of the disease and hospitalisation.
Even though the data did not point to increased risk of blood clots using the vaccine, several European countries, including Germany, had temporarily suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine amid fears it caused blot clots related to several deaths.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
