The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called on Nigerians to ensured that the AstraZeneca vaccine being administered to them carries the original label of the company. The Agency revealed that the warning has become necessary as there are chances of fake dosages being in circulation in the country. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye issued the statement today in Abuja.
Adeyeye revealed that the Oxford AstraZenca vaccine (AZOU), was contracted to the Indian giant pharmaceutical vaccine manufacturers, Serum Institute of India (SIIPL) to doll out the said vaccine.
AZOU gave the licence to SIIPL, having the capacity to meet the quantity that shall be required by the world population through signing the manufacturing agreement. Meanwhile, SIIPL gave the vaccine a trading name of COVISHIELD, which people need to check out before agreeing to accept the jab, Adeyeye added.
The NAFDAC boss explained that “SIIPL is now the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by a number of doses produced and sold globally. They are the manufacturers of “More than 1.5 billion doses, which include Polio vaccine, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hib, BCG, r-Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps and Rubella,” she disclosed.
Adeyeye revealed that over 170 countries across the globe in their national immunisation program have keyed into the AstraZeneca vaccine as it has received a nod from the World Health Organisation.
She warned the general public to watch out for other quasi manufacturers who may want to cash on the opportunity to circulate fake vaccine. According to her, the ChAdOx1 nCoV- 19 coronavirus vaccines (Recombinant), COVISHIELD, was granted Emergency Use Listing (EUL) by the World Health Organisation on Feb.15, and that it was one of the listed vaccines under the COVAX Facility, and people should take note, she said.
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