Tobias Sylvester
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) is investigating the blood clotting in some individuals that had taken the first jab of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
KanyiDaily recalls that many European countries had suspended the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine following reports of the formation of blood clots in some people who had been vaccinated.
The suspension comes after a 60-year-old woman, who was given an AstraZeneca shot from the same batch used in Austria, formed a blood clot and died.
Last week, a Nigerian woman Mrs Hannatu Tanko narrated how she started vomiting clots of blood after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in Kaduna State.
Speaking at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, the NCDC Director General, Chikwe Ihekweazu assured that the agency was investigating the reported blood clotting in some persons.
“There’s been ongoing investigations that we have all been following on the suspected link that the AstraZeneca vaccines to certain rear experience of blood clotting in individuals in Europe,” he said.
“Those investigations are still ongoing. Not all European countries are adopting the vaccines for their populations.
“In Nigeria, with every vaccine, we have a parallel system to measure and to monitor any side effects.
“That is ongoing and is being managed by the National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control in collaboration with National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
“We will continue to monitor patients in Nigeria. You know, every demographic is different, the demographic in taking vaccines in every country is different, the interaction between different drugs people are taking.
“So there are many circumstances that need to be fully evaluated, we will look at the data ourselves here in Nigeria and I will take action as needed.
“So I think for now, we can be sure that we have an effective vaccination programme going on. And we’re very responsive to the concerns of Nigerians, I will respond to them as appropriate.”
Despite concerns over reported negative effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the World Health Organization (WHO) had assured the world of its safety, saying that there was no evidence of a link between the vaccine and blood clots.
