October 13, 2021

…Says vaccinated persons may be required to take a booster shots

Nigerians may be required to take a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to stay safe, according to the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi.

Abayomi made the remark on Tuesday during a briefing in Ikeja.

“So we know that the vaccine is certainly protecting the population from severe disease and death. So the question is, as the virus is changing, it may require that we need to give you more than two doses,” the commissioner said.

“You may require a booster which is the first, second and subsequent doses because we have also discovered that even though the vaccine stops you from getting seriously sick, it may not necessarily stop you from catching Covid.

“We do know that some people even who are fully vaccinated with two doses will still catch Covid and some people will get quite sick and occasionally, some people may die. But certainly, the people that are dying who are not vaccinated are much higher than the people who are dying who have been vaccinated.

Professor Abayomi explained that the state government plans to vaccinate 30 percent of Lagos residents by the end of the year.

According to him, scientists around the world are toying with the idea that a third or fourth dose may be required.