By Michael Simire

Health workers administering the COVID-19 vaccine have urged Nigerians to complete the vaccination exercise by taking the second dose.

This is as the world battles the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recall that Nigeria had in 2020 shutdown economic activities as a result of the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19.

Nigeria recorded streams of cases for the first and second waves of the virus. However, the country’s vaccination exercise and measures put in place by the federal government is believed to have saved the country from the third wave of the rampaging virus.

A medical personnel administering the COVID-19 vaccine at Sango Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the vaccination exercise would be futile if Nigerians failed to take the second dose of the vaccine.

He urged Nigerians to ignore fake news peddlers and ensure that they start and complete the vaccination exercise by taking the first and second doses of the vaccine.

Discarding rumours of side effects, the administrator said that the decline in COVID-19 cases recorded after the commencement of the nationwide vaccination exercise was an evidence that the vaccine is safe for all.

“Those peddling fake news or conspiracies on the vaccine are doing more harm than good. Nigerians should come out en-mass to take their jabs and ensure that they do not miss out on the second dose,” the health worker said, adding: “The decline in fresh COVID-19 cases is evident that worries about the vaccine is invalid.”

Further adding that no unusual reaction has been recorded so far, the health worker said: “Apart from the regular minor reactions, we have not recorded any worrisome cases.

“Those that feel feverish are patients that have been nursing untreated malaria and other kinds of fever, the vaccine only pushes it out.”

On turnout for the second phase of the vaccination exercise, he said: ” The turnout has been impressive, and Nigerians have been keeping to their appointments for the second dose.”

Mrs Funmilayo Adeyanju, a petty trader who got her second jab at Powerline PHC, said that she felt normal after taking her second jab. She encouraged Nigerians to take the vaccine as, according to her, it was safe.

She added that it is better to take the vaccine than to be exposed to dangers of not being vaccinated.

“It costs nothing to get vaccinated, I don’t think anybody in Nigeria has died from taking the vaccine, but people have died of COVID-19, so it is evident and I don’t think Nigerians should listen to those fake news carriers,” she said.

Mr Ibrahim Olalere, a retired civil servant who also spoke after receiving the second jab at the Powerline PHC, said there is nothing to fear, that the vaccine if not safe would not have been administered in the first place.

“Our doctors and nurses giving us this vaccine will not ask us to take it if it is not safe. They were even the first to take both the first and second doses. Even if you will not ordinarily take it, please take it for the sake of your loved ones and family as it is very essential,” he said.

Our correspondent also visited the Agbado PHC but was unable to get the health workers to comment on the vaccination exercise as they explained that they were not authorized to grant press interviews.