Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of the National Agency
for Food and Drug Administration and Control, has warned Nigerians not to take
any COVID-19 vaccine except the ones approved by the agency.
The federal government had said it was expecting the
delivery of 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the country early 2021.
Speaking at a media briefing on Friday, Adeyeye said the
agency has not approved any vaccine and that it is yet to receive any
application from COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers.
She said no vaccine or commodity can be used in the country
without the approval of NAFDAC.
She said the World Health Organisation is not a regulatory
agency but provides guidance to agencies; hence, regulatory agencies need to
certify potential vaccines for public use.
She said the right step is for government agencies to
confirm if the said vaccine has been approved by NAFDAC before going ahead to
procure.
“The WHO will say that unless the regulatory agency of a
country approves a vaccine, it should not be used. WHO is not a regulatory
agency that will approve and say use, they are there to guide and give
regulatory agencies more confidence,” she said.
“If a product is already on WHO emergency use listing, the
regulatory agency will still look at the application. That doesn’t mean we just
pass it like that, we will have to read it within the context of our
environment. No vaccine or commodity can be used unless it passes through
NAFDAC in Nigeria.
“Vaccines should not be ordered by any company or
corporation. The companies that manufacture the vaccines if they are genuine
companies know they have to submit their application to NAFDAC.
“No government establishment or agencies should order
COVID-19 vaccines without confirming from NAFDAC if the vaccine has been
approved.
“COVID-19 vaccines are new, and the side effects or adverse
events must be well monitored, therefore, if NAFDAC does not approve, the
public should not use.”
Adeyeye said NAFDAC is in discussion with manufacturers of
COVID-19 vaccines concerning potential emergency use authorisation,
registration or licensing of their product.
”The agency assures applicants that if phase three clinical
data are very convincing and robust with regards to safety and efficacy and the
vaccine has been submitted for WHO for Emergency Use Listing,” she said.
“NAFDAC will welcome the application for emergency use
authorisation in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) earlier said COVID-19
vaccines need to undergo clinical trial before being administered on Nigerians.
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