By John Ikani
President Muhammadu Buhari has received a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine at the State House, Abuja.
The President had taken his first jab of the vaccine earlier in the year on March 6 and the second jab on May 29, respectively.
The vaccine was administered to him on Tuesday by his personal physician, Dr Suhayb Rafndadi, around 10:30 am.
Speaking to State House correspondents thereafter, the Executive Secretary, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said the President was leading by example.
He assured Nigerians that the booster dose of the Pfizer Biotech vaccine is safe and efficacious.
According to him, “the significance of the shot this morning is that the father of the nation is leading by example, as usual, he is among the first people that have taken the booster dose of the Pfizer Biotech vaccine.
“Again, to show, clearly, to all Nigerians that it is safe, it is efficacious, and know that over 8 million Nigerians have been vaccinated, here is another proof that this vaccine is safe and it’s a clarion call to all Nigerians to make themselves available to get the vaccine.”
Calling on Nigerians not to hesitate to take the vaccine, he said over eight million Nigerians have taken the vaccines safely.
It is worthwhile to note that the Federal Government of Nigeria had commenced the administration of booster jabs earlier in December to help stem the spread of the Omicron variant.
At the time of commencement, Dr Shuaib said “Following the detection of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Nigeria, the Federal Government reviewed the country’s vaccination programme and resolved to introduce the booster dose using the Pfizer Bio-N-Tech vaccine across the country.”
According to the NPHCDA, only people aged 18 and above, who have received full doses of the AstraZeneca, Moderna, or Pfizer Bio-N-Tech or a single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, are eligible for the booster dose.
