By Hassan Zaggi
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has explained that COVID-19 is novel to the world, hence, much about it is not yet known to scientists across the world.
He stated this while responding to a question on why people still die of COVID-19 complication even after taking the COVID-19 vaccines, at a media briefing in Abuja.
According to him, the shocking thing about the virus is that some people have not been vaccinated but their bodies have been able to develop antibodies to fight the disease and prevent it from having any impact on them.
He, however, said that some people, despite being vaccinated, their bodies could not develop the needed antibodies to suppress the Coronavirus and prevent it from having any impact on them.
Ehanire, however, called on Nigerians to get the COVID-19 vaccine so that it will build their immune system to be able to fight the virus and prevent it from making any considerable impact on their bodies.
The Minister explained that: “There is still a lot know about the COVID-19. How is it that some people are able to build antibodies? Some people who have not gotten the vaccination never get sick.
“There are some who are immuno-supressed, may be they are taking some medication to suppress their immune response capacity, despite the vaccination, they don’t generate immune capacity.
“The idea is that it depends on the antibodies you are having in your system, either through vaccination, that is exactly what vaccination does, it helps your body to generate antibodies which give you the protection.
“If your body does it competently, then you are protected. If your body is not doing that competently, you will still get infected despite being vaccinated, especially if it is a different variant of virus and again there are people who never get vaccinated but somehow have antibodies in their system.“
He, however, insisted that obeying the non pharmaceutical interventions like wearing of face masks, sanitizing the hands regularly and avoiding crowded places are the sure ways of keeping one away from the virus.
“About the non pharmaceutical intervention, the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) has regularly advised people to always wear face mask and not to feel too confident and we praise those who do so always.
“For those who don’t do so, we advice again that you wear your masks, especially, if you are not a very young person, keep social distancing, sanitise and also keep away from crowd.
Speaking earlier, the Director of Research and Statistics at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Abdullahi Bulama Garba, has disclosed that private health facilities will charge some amount when administering the COVID-19 vaccine.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government has concluded plans to incorporate the private health facilities and allow them administer the COVID-19 vaccine to Nigerians.
According to Bulama: “The private facilities have their documentation, when you go you will get their card, the person who is going to give you injection is not going to be paid by the government, the light and Air Condition (AC) you will enjoy is not being paid by the government, therefore, facilities may charge. But it has to be reasonable. “That is why we developed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) so that the private facilities will sign with their respective states so that the charge will be very reasonable.
“But when you look at it in another angle, if you have a PHC facility near you that is providing the services free at and you decide to go to the private facility, it is now a choice. Whatever you are charged, be ready to pay because you took yourself there.”
