Following the controversies and unsubstantiated information about the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from some quarters, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Monday reassured Lagosians that the vaccine is safe.

The Governor stated that he did not feel any side effects as claimed by some persons.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who received the AstraZeneca vaccine alongside his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, health practitioners, frontline workers and journalists, among others last Friday at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) Yaba, said he felt no symptom after taking the vaccine.

He said: “I didn’t feel any side effects after taking the shot”.

Speaking to journalists at the Lagos House, Ikeja on Monday, Governor Sanwo-Olu said there is nothing to worry about the vaccine. He therefore encouraged Lagosians, especially those on the frontlines to come forward and get vaccinated.

He said: “It has been three days since I was vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine and the deputy governor too has had his own shot. I can confirm to you that I felt no after effect at all. I didn’t have any headache, malaria or any symptom whatsoever. It was well received.

“Like I mentioned on Friday, I think all of the speculation that is going round is really unfounded. I have taken the vaccine and we have seen that Lagos has continued to vaccinate the frontline health workers. And so, let us use this medium again to inform our citizens well that the vaccines; the one we have, AstraZeneca, is safe and is of no negative consequence. And I for one do not have any. I have also asked around.

“So, there is nothing for us to get worried about. It is just to take it easy and let us encourage others that are on the frontlines to come forward and get vaccinated.”

Also speaking to journalists to corroborate Governor Sanwo-Olu’s position on the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, Dr. Hamzat said he felt no symptom after he received the shot last Friday. “No symptom at all. Nothing,” he said.

It would be recalled that the first jab of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was administered in Lagos State last week. Prof. Abayomi kicked off the vaccine rollout programme after he got the first jab of the serum supplied by the Federal Government.