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Tag: vaccine

  • BREAKING: Minister of Health replaced over COVID-19 vaccine feud

    BREAKING: Minister of Health replaced over COVID-19 vaccine feud

    For the third time since the start of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Czech Republic is getting a new health minister, the current minister announced on Wednesday.

    Jan Blatny announced that he had been recalled and that it had been a political decision by Prime Minister Andrej Babis.

    The decision is likely based on the fact that Blatny and Babis did not see eye to eye on the Russian made Sputnik V vaccine.

    Blatny had wanted to wait for European Union (EU) authorities to decide on it.

    Blatny will be replaced by Petr Arenberger, who is in charge of the University Hospital Prague-Vinohrady.

    Arenberger had said in a newspaper interview that he was open to using the vaccine.

    According to the opposition, Blatny is simply being used as a scapegoat for mistakes made by Babis’ government.

    The Czech Republic is due to hold parliamentary elections in six months.

    Since the start of the pandemic, there have been more than 1.5 million confirmed Coronavirus cases and more than 27,325 virus-related deaths in the country.

    Currently, almost 300 people per 100,000 residents were infected within seven days.

  • COVID-19: It’s foolishness to have faith when God has provided vaccine- Ighodalo

    COVID-19: It’s foolishness to have faith when God has provided vaccine- Ighodalo

    Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, the Senior Pastor of Trinity House has slammed those who rely on faith to guard them from an infection he says God has already provided a vaccine for.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy condemned fellow pastors for counselling their congregation to take a jab of the COVID-19 vaccine.

    In the same vein, the General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries International, Apostle Johnson Suleman, also expressed a lack of confidence in the vaccine.

    He stated that he and his family will not take the vaccine, adding that it is not healthy.

    Ighodalo in an interview with ARISE TV urged his fellow pastors “to do their research, get the knowledge and stop misinforming and improperly educating people on guesswork, instincts and mere suppositions.”

    He revealed that he has taken a jab of the vaccine as directed by God after he prayed to Him about it.

    Ighodalo said, “It is foolishness to keep having faith that God will protect you from an infection he has made provision for vaccines that can provide a high percentage of protection.”

    According to him: “I have taken the jab. I prayed about it, and I got a clear direction from God to go and receive it, and I have explained to my people in church that God provides knowledge. I will like to appeal to my brother pastors to do their research, get the knowledge and stop misinforming and improperly educating people on guesswork, instincts and mere suppositions. Coronavirus is real, and you need the vaccination.

    “The Bible says my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

    He also added that there is a need to correct the wrong belief that people have about the vaccine by showing them that it doesn’t tally with science.

    “Some people think the COVID-19 vaccine is a deliberate effort to wipe out the human population.

    “We need to address the fears and prove it is not so. Other persons think it is the sign of the anti-christ (666) and we need to prove this is not also true.

    “Other people believe the vaccines have long term effect and if you take it today, in 20 years’ time, it would affect them. We also need to address such fears and prove scientifically this is not so,” he said.

    “The problem is a lot of these questions about the vaccine are not being properly addressed and there is too much rumour flying all over the place. Some churches believe in divine health but if they study further, they would also know that God provided knowledge for healing,” Ighodalo stated.

  • NAFDAC sends important message to Nigerians over COVID-19 vaccine labels

    NAFDAC sends important message to Nigerians over COVID-19 vaccine labels

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has advised Nigerians to ensure the Astrazeneca vaccine being administered on them had the original label.

    The agency said the warning was imperative to ensure people did not risk being vaccinated with fake Astrazeneca vaccine.

    The position of NAFDAC is contained in a statement signed by the agency’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, on Sunday, in Abuja.

    Adeyeye, explained that the original Oxford Astrazeneca University (AZOU) vaccine, had been contracted to India’s world largest vaccine manufacturer, Serum Institute of India (SIIPL), to produce in large quantity.

    “AZOU gave the license of its vaccine to Serum Institute of India PVT Ltd, (SIIPL), to manufacture this vaccine at a commercial scale. SIIPL is the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world and the company got the license by signing the manufacturing agreement.

    “SIIPL gave the vaccine the trade name COVISHIELD, it is the result of a cooperation and a technology transfer from AstraZeneca – University of Oxford to SIIPL.

    “SIIPL is now the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally.

    “More than 1.5 billion doses, which include Polio vaccine, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hib, BCG, r-Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps and Rubella,” she said.

    Adeyeye added that the vaccines manufactured by SIIPL were accredited by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and were being used in about 170 countries across the globe in their national immunisation programme.

    She added that both COVISHIELD manufactured by SIIPL and COVID-19 vaccine Astrazeneca, manufactured by Astrazeneca/Oxford University vaccine are the same vaccine.

    According to Adeyeye, ChAdOx1 nCoV- 19 corona virus 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.

  • Denmark reports two cases of serious illness, one death after AstraZeneca shot

    Denmark reports two cases of serious illness, one death after AstraZeneca shot

    Denmark said on Saturday that one person had died and another fell seriously ill with blood clots and cerebral haemorrhage after receiving the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination.

    The two, both hospital staff members, had received the AstraZeneca vaccine less than 14 days before getting ill, the authority that runs public hospitals in Copenhagen said.

    The Danish Medicines Agency confirmed it had received two “serious reports”, without giving further details.

    There were no details of when the hospital staff got ill.

    Denmark, which halted using the AstraZeneca vaccine on March 11, was among more than a dozen countries that temporarily paused the use of the vaccine after reports of cases of rare brain blood clots sent scientists and governments scrambling to determine any link.

    Some countries, including Germany and France, this week reversed their decision to suspend the use of the vaccine following an investigation into the reports of blood clots by the European Union’s drug watchdog.

    EU said, on Thursday, it is still convinced the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.

    Denmark – along with Sweden and Norway – said on Friday it needed more time to decide whether to use the vaccine.

    “We prioritise reports of suspected serious side effects such as these and examine them thoroughly to assess whether there is a possible link to the vaccine,’’ Tanja Erichsen, acting Director of Pharmacovigilance at the Danish Medicines Agency, said in a tweet on Saturday.

    “We are in the process of dealing with the two specific cases.’’

    European Medicines Agency (EMA) Director, Emer Cooke said on Thursday the watchdog could not definitively rule out a link between blood clot incidents and the vaccine in its investigation into 30 cases of a rare blood clotting condition.

    But she said the “clear” conclusion of the review was that the benefits in protecting people from the risk of death or hospitalisation outweigh the possible risks.

    The issue deserves further analysis, the EMA said.

    AstraZeneca, which developed the shot with Oxford University, said that a review, covering more than 17 million people who had received its shots in the EU and Britain, had found no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots.

    The company on Saturday declined to comment on the new cases in Denmark but referred to a statement published on Thursday, in which its Chief Medical Officer, Ann Taylor, said: “Vaccine safety is paramount and we welcome the regulators’ decisions which affirm the overwhelming benefit of our vaccine in stopping the pandemic.

    “We trust that, after the regulators’ careful decisions, vaccinations can once again resume across Europe’’.

  • WHO certifies Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine safe to use

    WHO certifies Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine safe to use

    The Oxford AstraZeneca Covid-19 is safe to use, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared in Geneva on Wednesday.

    It therefore recommended its continuous use to tame the pandemic.

    “WHO considers that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks and recommends that vaccinations continue”, the global health regulator said.

    WHO spoke as some countries in the European Union (EU) temporarily suspended the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

    The measure was a precautionary measure, following reports that it was causing blood clots.

    In a statement, the WHO said this decision was based on reports of rare blood coagulation disorders in persons who had received the vaccine.

    It said, however, that other countries in the EU – having considered the same information – had decided to continue using the vaccine in their immunization programmes.

    “Vaccination against COVID-19 will not reduce illness or deaths from other causes. Thromboembolic events are known to occur frequently. Venous thromboembolism is the third most common cardiovascular disease globally.

    “In extensive vaccination campaigns, it is routine for countries to signal potential adverse events following immunization.

    “This does not necessarily mean that the events are linked to vaccination itself, but it is good practice to investigate them.

    “It also shows that the surveillance system works and that effective controls are in place, the statement said.

    The statement said the WHO was in regular contact with the European Medicines Agency and regulators around the world for the latest information on COVID-19 vaccine safety.

    “The WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety is carefully assessing the latest available safety data for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

    “Once that review is completed, WHO will immediately communicate the findings to the public.

    “At this time, WHO considers that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks and recommends that vaccinations continue,” the statement said.

  • Why WHO wants use of AstraZeneca vaccine to continue despite fears

    Why WHO wants use of AstraZeneca vaccine to continue despite fears

    Despite fears over usage, the World Health Organization (WHO) has again recommended the continuous use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.

    Recall a number of countries in the European Union have temporarily suspended use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

    The countries suspended use of the vaccine as a precautionary measure based on reports of rare blood coagulation disorders in persons who had received the vaccine.

    Other countries in the EU – having considered the same information – have decided to continue using the vaccine in their immunization programmes.

    The WHO in a statement said at this time, it considers that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks and recommends that vaccinations continue.

    A statement published on WHO’s website on Wednesday reads: “Vaccination against COVID-19 will not reduce illness or deaths from other causes.

    “Thromboembolic events are known to occur frequently. Venous thromboembolism is the third most common cardiovascular disease globally.

    “In extensive vaccination campaigns, it is routine for countries to signal potential adverse events following immunization.

    “This does not necessarily mean that the events are linked to vaccination itself, but it is good practice to investigate them. It also shows that the surveillance system works and that effective controls are in place.

    “WHO is in regular contact with the European Medicines Agency and regulators around the world for the latest information on COVID-19 vaccine safety.

    “The WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety is carefully assessing the latest available safety data for the AstraZeneca vaccine. Once that review is completed, WHO will immediately communicate the findings to the public.

    “At this time, WHO considers that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks and recommends that vaccinations continue”.

  • ‘One dead, 2 top govt officials critically ill after taking COVID-19 vaccine’

    ‘One dead, 2 top govt officials critically ill after taking COVID-19 vaccine’

    Nigerian and acclaimed US trained, award winning journalist, Kemi Olunloyo has said one person has died and two top government officials are critically ill after taking the Oxford/AstraZeneca Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.

    While Olunloyo did not mention the names of the persons involved, she did mentioned Segun Odubela, a former Ogun State commissioner for Education, who died of COVID-19 complications at a private hospital in Lagos last night.

    “There’s a death & two high ranking govt officials very ill from the ASTRA-ZENECA #COVID19 vaccine. The RX giant’s vaccine has been pulled in several European countries as a “precautionary” measure for blood clots. The Prez task force should be transparent now.

    “The Prez task force should explain to the public how NAFDAC must get Clinical scientists to work. I am investigating this as a clinical pharmacist and medical reporter. All those who got their first doses must report adverse symptoms right away to their physicians,” she tweeted on Tuesday.

    Recall that Nigeria, March 2, 2021 took delivery of the first batch of Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which is about 3,924,000 doses.

    So far, 8,000 jabs have been administered across 34 states and the federal capital territory (FCT) with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines, except Kogi.

    However, there is an ongoing concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccines, but the Presidential Tasks Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has insisted that the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is safe for Nigerians despite the growing global concerns over possible side effects.

    The National Incident Manager of the PTF on COVID-19, Dr. Mukhtar Muhammad on Monday in Abuja at the joint national briefing of the taskforce said clinical trials had shown that the side effects are “generally mild’’.

    He said that the WHO had in the last three days, through a series of briefings, vouched for the vaccine’s safety and efficacy, and that it had been proven that it had about 70 per cent efficacy level.

    He, however, advised those who might have received the vaccine, but who have felt symptoms of its reactions for more than 24 hours, to report through the appropriate channels at the state level.

    “The arrival of the vaccines is something that is very good and exciting in the sense that a combination of the vaccine and the non-pharmaceutical interventions can help us see the light at the end of the tunnel within a very short period of time.

    “However, we have suffered a major setback in the last few hours, regarding the content safety and efficacy of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.

    “We have seen in the news how some countries have deferred the usage of this vaccine or have suspended its use. That list of the European countries is growing.

    “However, it is very reassuring to see that the regulatory agencies in those countries have continued to emphasise that the vaccine is safe and that the incidence of blood clots reported in the patients is not higher than the risk of blood clotting in people who are not vaccinated. That is really something reassuring.

    Meanwhile, some countries in Europe have suspended the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine over concerns that the jab may cause blood clots.

    Germany, Italy, France, Spain and the Netherlands became the latest countries to pause the rollout of the vaccine on Monday.

    Norway, Denmark and Bulgaria suspended their programmes last week.

  • Minister addresses private importation of COVID-19 shots

    Minister addresses private importation of COVID-19 shots

    The Federal Government has not authorised private importation of COVID-19 vaccines, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire has said.

    Enahire made this known during the Presidential Tasks Force briefing on COVID-19 in Abuja.

    ”Private importation of COVID-19 vaccines has not been authorised due to reports of substandard falsified vaccines in circulation.

    ”The deployment of vaccines will be handled by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) or any of the agency’s accredited facilities for now,” the minister said.

    Speaking on the ongoing concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccines, the minister reassured that the vaccines were safe and no adverse effects had been recorded in the country.

    “The president, vice president, other leaders, frontline health workers have taken the vaccines and are all doing well”, he said.

    The minster also said that the National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have developed a Health safety app to enable those who have been vaccinate report any adverse reaction.

    ”We are working with state commissioners for health to meet the COVID-19 support fund requirements.

    ”We assure all states and local governments that the promised support fund for the process would be paid as soon as the formalities were compete.

    “I urge all states to use existing resources so that there are no hitches in the exercise before the disbursement”, he said.

    So far, 8,000 jabs have been administered across 34 states and the FCT with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines, except Kogi.

    Kogi state is yet to establish a fully functional cold chain facility in order to recieve its allocation.

  • WHO admits people may have severe allergic reaction to COVID-19 vaccine

    WHO admits people may have severe allergic reaction to COVID-19 vaccine

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the agency is aware that a small fraction
    of people – around one person in every one million people vaccinated – may have severe allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine, known as anaphylaxis.

    WHO, in a statement posted on its website on Tuesday, stated that just like the way people react to other vaccines or drugs, they could also react to COVID-19 vaccine.

    The organisation stated that “some people could react to the vaccine, especially those with history of anaphylaxis to one of the vaccine constituents which may have higher risk of reaction following COVID-19 vaccination.

    “Similarly, if the person provides a history of anaphylaxis with a previous dose of the same vaccine, he or she should be advised not to take the vaccine.’’

    The UN health agency made the clarification while reacting to a story published by The Observer Newspaper with the title: “Allergic Person Advised not to take COVID-19 vaccination”.

    According to the WHO statement, all vaccination sites should have a medical doctor or clinical officer with the necessary kit to address such reactions or any other adverse event following vaccination to manage allergy.

    “WHO recommends that before the first dose, clients should inform the vaccinating team about any allergic reaction they may have had in the past.

    “This is a precautionary measure. The healthcare providers will then assess the patient’s medical history to determine if he or she is at risk of severe allergic reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine.

    “All immunisation providers are trained to recognise severe allergic reactions and are knowledgeable about the practical steps needed to treat them.

    “We encourage all those who are vaccinated to remain at the vaccination site for 30 minutes for observation.’’

    During the on-going COVID-19 rollout, WHO is working closely with the Ministry of Health to detect and immediately respond to any serious side effects that may occur within 30 minutes of vaccination and beyond the 30 minutes when the person goes home.

    In addition, it stated that the same article reported that some European countries had suspended the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine based on reports of rare blood coagulation disorders in a few people.

    “WHO is aware that as a precautionary measure, a few countries in the European Union have suspended the use of a specific batch as a precaution, while full investigation is undertaken.

    “It is important to note that the European Medicines Agency’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee position is that the vaccine’s benefits continue to outweigh its risks.

    “The committee says the vaccine can continue to be administered while investigation of cases of thromboembolic events is ongoing.”

    “As soon as WHO gains full understanding of events surrounding the suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine in those countries, the findings and any changes to current recommendations will be immediately communicated to the public,” it added.

    The world body also noted that vaccinations against COVID-19 would not reduce other medical conditions or deaths from other causes.

    It stated that “they will continue to occur, including after vaccination but they are not related to the vaccines.”

    Meanwhile, around 14.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine produced by Serum Institute of India have been delivered to 23 African countries under the COVAX initiative as of March 12.

    Nearly 600,000 doses of the COVAX-funded AstraZeneca vaccine had been administered.

  • Gov Sanwo-Olu narrates his COVID-19 vaccine jab experience

    Gov Sanwo-Olu narrates his COVID-19 vaccine jab experience

    Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday said that he felt no side effects three days after taking the COVID-19 vaccine injection.

    Sanwo-Olu said this at Lagos House, Ikeja, while responding to questions from State House Correspondents on his experience after taking the vaccine on March 12.

    The governor received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine alongside the deputy governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso.

    Also, health practitioners, frontline workers and some newsmen, among others, took the COVID-19 vaccines at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba,

    Sanwo-Olu reassured Lagos residents that the vaccine is safe, hence, they should get vaccinated to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.

    ”It has been three days since I got the AstraZeneca vaccine. I can confirm to you that I felt no after effects at all. I didn’t have any headache, any malaria or any symptoms whatsoever.

    ”I have taken and Lagos has continued to vaccinate all of our frontline workers. There is nothing to worry about. We encourage others to continue to take the vaccine,” he said.

    Also, the Deputy Governor, Hamzat, said the he felt no after effects.

    ”No symptoms at all, I didn’t feel anything,” he said.

    The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Abayomi, however, said that he felt slight pains at the side of the injection a day after taking the vaccine, but was relieved after taking pain relief medicine.

    ”I just took some Panadol, I went to sleep, I did a bit of exercise and then I went to sleep and I woke up yesterday morning and I felt fantastic,” he said.

    According to him, everybody is different, as some people won’t feel anything at all, some people will have a bit of body pain, some may even have shivering, and those are all expected side effects.

    He said that such effects were in the literature of the vaccine and had been mentioned to get people prepared, and such effects were just categorised as `Adverse Effects Following Immunisation’.

    ”There is another category called `Adverse Effects of Special Interest’ and those are very rare.

    “So, the first type of getting pain at the site of the injection, feeling body pain or headache is normal. Most people will experience something like that if you take the vaccine.

    ”But the one of Special Interest, they are serious, they cause people to collapse, they go into shock, they get severe complications and it can happen with any vaccination, it is not confined to COVID-19.

    ”They are very rare, they happen; maybe one in five million people who will take it will experience anaphylactic reaction. In other words you react to something in the vaccine, you are allergic to one of the chemical carriers.

    ”But we are ready for that. If you notice the kits that we have at the site, it contains steroids and all kinds of medications.

    “If anybody gets the vaccine and had anaphylactic reaction, the doctors at the site of vaccination are ready to deal with that,” Abayomi said.