Nov. 16, 2021

The Presidential Steering Committee (PSC ) on COVID-19, says efforts are continuing to introduce booster doses in the vaccination programme to build a healthy level of anti-bodies.

Mr. Boss Mustapha, Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, said at a news conference in Abuja, that there is currently an increase in case fatality which calls for great concern.

Mustapha is also Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

A booster vaccine dose helps to improve the protection after a person has completed one or two doses of vaccine, depending on the product, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

It gives longer-term protection against getting seriously ill from COVID-19 and is designed to help people maintain longer level of immunity and is currently being admitted in some countries.

The WHO said booster doses might only be needed if there is evidence of insufficient protection against the disease as immunity naturally starts to wane.

Mustapha added that the PSC is currently seeing some surges in cases in some countries in Europe (especially eastern Europe) due to under vaccination and even in countries where massive vaccinations had occurred.

He said vaccination phase is being accelerated and that National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) had concluded arrangements to roll out mass vaccination plan from Nov. 20.

Mustapha assured Nigerians that the NPHCDA had enough vaccines to vaccinate about 50 per cent of the targeted population till Jan. 31, 2022.

Speaking further, he frowned at the procurement of vaccination cards illegally and warned that persons caught would be prosecuted.

“We have received intelligence reports and even detected that some unscrupulous citizens are procuring vaccination cards through the black market.

”Let me assure everyone that the vaccination records/certificates will be verified and this should serve as a warning to those criminally-minded persons to desist because they will be prosecuted accordingly,” he said.

The chairman urged travelers leaving the country to be conversant with the Travel Protocols of all countries (origin, transit and destination).

He said the advice became necessary because there are media reports that some citizens were denied boarding due to lack of pre-departure protocol compliance, while others returning home also complained about requirements to be met.

The SGF said the National International Travel Protocol portal had been upgraded to meet existing protocol and the demands of the traveling public is now on and running smoothly. (NAN)