President Muhammadu Buhari received the booster dose of the Pfizer Biotech vaccine on Tuesday from his chief personal physician, Dr. Suhayb Rafindadi.
Subsequently, the President’s vaccination card was signed by the Director General of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib at the Presidential Village, Abuja.
Speaking on the importance, Dr. Shuaib said that President Buhari was leading by example, being one of the first to receive the booster vaccine, while also conveying a message to Nigerians that vaccines are safe for everyone and effective.
However, he appealed to Nigerians who still harbor doubts about vaccines, noting that more than 8 million Nigerians have been successfully vaccinated and vaccinated people are not likely to die as speculated.
He explained that new developments have shown that COVID-19 is rapidly becoming the disease of the unvaccinated, adding that the country has procured enough vaccines to serve eligible Nigerians.
“The importance of this morning’s injection is that the father of the nation is leading by example, as usual, he is among the first people to have taken the booster dose of the Pfizer Biontech vaccine. Again, to clearly show all Nigerians that it is safe, it is effective, and now that more than 8 million Nigerians have been vaccinated, here is another proof that this vaccine is safe and it is a wake-up call to all Nigerians to let them do it themselves. available to receive the vaccine.
“The evidence is there, more than 8 million Nigerians have been safely vaccinated. They are doing well, they are doing their normal business and what we are seeing in the data is that COVID-19 is now primarily a disease of the unvaccinated. Out of every 10 people who have died, the data shows that eight of them are not vaccinated. Therefore, there is a higher chance of dying from COVID-19 if you are not vaccinated.
“What the President has done today is again to indicate to all Nigerians that the federal government is doing everything possible to ensure that only safe and effective vaccines are brought to Nigeria, and that when they are brought to Nigeria, we will double-check. To do make sure it conforms to the highest standards set by NAFDAC.
“So when you go to any health center, when you go to any mass vaccination site, one thing that should be clear in your mind is that this vaccine that enters your body is safe and will protect you against severe forms of COVID-19. . It will also protect you from dying from COVID-19. That is the security we are giving Nigerians.
“The other thing that we are also saying to Nigerians is that when they get vaccinated, they may feel some pain at the vaccination site, they may feel a little feverish, they may feel a little body aches, but these are all signs. that the vaccine is working. These are mild symptoms compared to the symptoms you would feel if you contracted the actual COVID-19.
“This is part of the technology that claims to be COVID-19, but in reality, it causes your body to raise armies that will now defeat the real virus.
“So please stop doubting, stop having doubts. It is a matter of integrity for us that we do the right thing and we are proving, through the leadership of the president, the governors, the legislators who have come out openly to take these vaccines, that these vaccines are exactly what we need. be able to protect our health and then start rebuilding our economy.”